


Painting Flowers

by averyblue



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: "Forensic Fairytale", Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Light Angst, M/M, Murder Mystery, Private Investigators, also Hyungwon starts off as awkward but he'll get better, basically the Pushing Daisies AU no one asked for, mentions of Jooheon having a small crush on Hyungwon, mentions of death because murders and murder mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-01-05 17:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18370823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/averyblue
Summary: The facts were these: Chae Hyungwon had the ability to bring the dead back to life, with one said dead person being Lee Minhyuk whom he had harbored feelings for since his childhood; Im Changkyun was a private investigator with a secret agenda and an equally kept secret crush on one flower shop owner, Lee Hoseok.





	1. a brush of lilac

**Author's Note:**

> this is based on "Pushing Daisies", an amazing show that ended years ago. so **disclaimer** , the way this fic is narrated and the events that happen in this first chapter are quite similar to the show's first episode, so i hope you guys understand there's a reason why the way it's narrated is kind of whimsical/fairytale-like rather than... normal? hahaha and also warning, there's a lot of talk about death and murder but it's not too heavy
> 
> and if anyone wants a general feel of what Pushing Daisies is like, watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVELsqFtYCk)!
> 
> i also didn't tag this as major character death bc minhyuk revives... so there's that before someone decides to bash the fic

In a small neighborhood in Dong-gu, Gwangju, Young Chae Hyungwon is twelve years of age when he first discovers his most unique ability in the most twisted of ways. He finds his pet leopard gecko, a gift from his constantly absent father, sprawled lifeless in his rectangular glass tank underneath the spotlight of an overhead lamp. Komodo (named by Hyungwon, _fitting for a midnight blizzard leopard gecko_ ) has lived to be up to a year old and has lived with Hyungwon for even less, and the cause of his death is very much unknown to his distraught owner. “The _Eublepharis macularius_ can live up to twenty years given the proper care,” says one conveniently-timed science channel documentary in the backdrop from his living room as he stared at his pet’s corpse; Hyungwon is sure he’s given Komodo safe meals void of potential poisons and has catered appropriate living conditions for his gecko too, and this is the reward he gets after finishing his last day of school for the first term.

He unmounts his knapsack from his back and leans forward, uniform-covered chest pressing against the glass container, reaching for his deceased pet and grieving over his short life. But as his hands scoop up its cold lifeless form, life immediately springs back and Hyungwon feels the reptile’s limbs shift on his palms. He parts his hands out of shock and watches Komodo descend feet-first onto the ceramic floor as if nothing happened, blinking thrice at Hyungwon before scurrying onto his bulky resting rock at the near-center of the tank. He decides not to touch Komodo out of fear, since he’s pretty sure the gecko has been dead just seconds ago. Now he isn’t sure if it’s just his imagination playing tricks on him or if he indeed has a power that makes him unlike any other existing child in the world. Or any other existing _person_ in the world, for that matter.

He will find out eventually it’s the latter, but will never find out about the rat scampering just outside his home taking its last breath in exchange for the second life of Komodo.

Two days later, Hyungwon learns to grasp the reality of this ability. He gets told by his pie-baking grandmother to pick up fallen leaves from their backyard, courtesy of the sole tree standing that has been planted by his deceased grandfather, and he rejuvenates crisp brown  to waxy green in an attempt to fulfill his guardian’s wishes. He gawks again, whispering to himself, “No way,” in a voice mixed with awe and confusion. The leaves are alive again, more beautiful than they have been just mere milliseconds before Hyungwon’s touch.

His life-giving touch is a gift. Given by whom, Hyungwon doesn’t know. Like all gifts given to a child, Hyungwon’s true curiosity lies in what it has to offer and how to use it. But unlike all gifts Hyungwon has ever received, this gift doesn’t come inside a box or a paper bag, nor does it have instructions or scratched out price tags. It just exists, without any guarantee of permanence, but Hyungwon’s overwhelmed feelings overshadow this train of thought.

Little did Hyungwon know that once he gets older, he’ll wish to have been more curious and cautious of his gift’s terms of use.

But at this moment, how can Hyungwon think of such when an invader springs behind him while he gawks at the fallen leaves? Hyungwon spins around by heel and yells in horror, only to face the bright smile of the boy who lives across his house.

Warm-spirited boyishly handsome Lee Minhyuk, at the tender age of twelve with a few months head start of Hyungwon, also has a special gift that only Hyungwon is aware of and only works on Hyungwon.

Lee Minhyuk has the ability to make Hyungwon’s heart race and turn Hyungwon’s thoughts into mush with just one look, because Chae Hyungwon has a crush on Lee Minhyuk, his neighbor and classmate and best friend.

“D’you want to come with me to the park?” comes Minhyuk’s chipper voice, his question purging the word ‘ _no_ ’ from Hyungwon’s vocabulary. The day has only begun and Hyungwon wishes to have happier memories to make this summer vacation, and there’s no better way to spend them than with the boy who rouses the butterflies in his stomach to flutter out of his infatuation.

But Hyungwon has a good sense of responsibility despite his crush, replying with, “I have to clean out the leaves first.”

And sure enough, his best friend smiles his sunniest. “I’ll help you then!”

Within six minutes, Hyungwon’s allotted paper bags are full. So is his heart when Minhyuk pulls him outside the boundaries of his home and onto the streets underneath the summer sun. Lanky legs pace themselves with strides unaffected by bandaged knees in a fourteen-minute walk to the neighborhood park. Hyungwon wears nothing but a smile on the way as he listens to Minhyuk babble excitedly about a new video game he’s excited to buy and the new paintbrushes he’s excited to use.

They take a short detour to the convenience store just in front of the park, and Minhyuk immediately quips, “My treat,” before Hyungwon can interject about his coinless-ness. He ends up sitting on a swing set, side by side with Minhyuk and no longer empty-handed with the ice cream Minhyuk has bought -- strawberry for himself and chocolate for Hyungwon.

“What’s all this, Minmoongie?” he asks with a soft laugh, pulling off the treat’s wrapper before tossing it in the paper bag situated between them. Minhyuk does the same and takes a bite of the cold sweet.

“Just felt like it,” the boy answers, grinning at Hyungwon widely. Another chuckle escapes Hyungwon’s lips, seeing pink cream coating the top of his friend’s own. “What are you laughing at?”

Hyungwon points at his own plumper lips, watching Minhyuk narrow his eyes and cock his head before reaching his _Eureka!_ moment. “Wow, I’m still a messy eater.”

“You’re always messy,” Hyungwon retorts, earning a light smack on his skinnier arm. “Bullying!”

“Excuse me, you were the one who said something mean,” Minhyuk answers back, sticking his tongue out playfully.

“You started it.”

“Fair.”

They laugh together before falling into silence, focusing on their ice cream. In Hyungwon’s case, his focus leans even more towards the thought of Minhyuk’s presence beside him. He’s so close yet so far, a swing set seat’s distance apart, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Or so he thought until he feels calloused fingertips brush against the skin of his left hand, and Hyungwon lets his hand be held gently without looking at his side. The beat of his heart speeds up at an ungodly pace, his cheeks flushed tomato red, as Minhyuk intertwines their fingers and sways their hands. He trains his eyes on the potted lilac flowers displayed at a nearby house in hopes to calm down even just a smidgeon.

“My dad and I are going to Busan tomorrow,” Minhyuk says softly. “We’re staying there for the whole break, him and me.”

A weight shifts in Hyungwon’s gut. So much for making memories with Minhyuk, then. As much as he tries not to seem disappointed, his lips betray him with a long sigh.

Minhyuk squeezes his hand gently, painlessly. “I’ll miss you too, Hyungwonnie.”

On a normal day, Hyungwon will reply with, “Who says I’ll miss you?” in humor, but today isn’t such a day. Today, he has Minhyuk’s hand in his, and his heart is on Minhyuk’s hands.

“Tell me stories when you get back, Minhyuk,” he musters to say, still trying to process what he really feels.

“I’ll even write to you if you want,” Minhyuk says. Even without looking, Hyungwon knows Minhyuk is beaming. “We’re going to meet my grandparents and little cousin, and I’m so, so excited to see them. Maybe I could take pictures and have them printed, then I’ll send you a letter.”

“That’d be nice,” Hyungwon smiles. “You know I can wait, though.”

“You can, but I can’t. Promise me you’ll write back too.”

Before Hyungwon knows it, the warmth of Lee Minhyuk’s hand is gone as the boy walks in front of him with a blank popsicle stick in hand. He looks up and his breath hitches -- the rays of sunlight overlay the edges of Minhyuk’s hair like a beautiful golden halo.

“You eat ice cream fast,” dumbly leaves his mouth. Minhyuk only laughs while moving closer to Hyungwon until they’re face to face.

“Promise you’ll write back, Hyungwon. I really mean it, I’ll miss you.”

His voice is soft and tender and full of affection, and Hyungwon doesn’t need to say yes when he reciprocates the gentle touch of Minhyuk’s lips on his.

Chae Hyungwon is twelve years old when he has his first kiss and when he first realizes he’s in love with Lee Minhyuk.

Now, if the saying _‘life is a rollercoaster’_ is applied to Hyungwon’s life, receiving a kiss from his first love is the highest point he’s reached so far. The figurative coaster car he’s riding on teeters on top, ready to drop in a single snap of fate’s fingers. Hyungwon has expected that drop to be his days without Minhyuk by his side the entire summer vacation, perhaps them drifting apart because of it, and maybe Minhyuk forgetting to write to him after drawing out a promise from Hyungwon’s lips. The thought of such happening scares Hyungwon, but Minhyuk’s sweet words and gentle touches keep Hyungwon at bay and from drifting into doubt.

As it turns out, fate’s fingers snap even faster than Hyungwon has expected at a time that takes Hyungwon off guard.

He arrives home to his grandmother sitting on the floor, pulseless, and Hyungwon’s heart hammers in his chest so painfully until she revives with his touch. He takes a breath of relief as she starts walking to the kitchen, saying she’ll give Hyungwon a slice of apple pie while he waits in the living room and stares at the view outside the window. He can see Minhyuk embracing his father once before running inside their house, hopefully joyous because of the short but saccharine moments they’ve shared for the day.

An exact minute passes when Hyungwon’s grandmother returns with a plate of pie and drops it a second after Minhyuk’s father falls on the sidewalk across the street, taking with him the last hug he’ll ever share with his only son.

It is then Hyungwon realizes his gift comes with a price -- it not only gives, but also takes. He can only bring the dead back to life for one minute without consequence, and any longer will snatch a life from someone else at the closest proximity.

For Komodo’s case, it has been a random rat. And for his grandmother, Mr. Lee.

And as if this manner of discovery isn’t traumatizing enough, there’s one more thing Hyungwon learns that night about touching dead things in the most unfortunate way. If he had touched Komodo a second time two days ago, he would have learned it the easier way. But with one kiss on the forehead from his grandmother after being tucked to bed that night, Hyungwon learns the second condition of his gift -- first touch: life; second touch: dead again, forever.

Two separate funerals held for two separate people. Two separate souls that weigh down one heavy grief on Hyungwon’s heart. He cries in silence at a graveyard bench, watching two separate crowds across each other standing around the gravestone-to-be.

He doesn’t realize Minhyuk’s presence in front of him until two arms wrap around his shoulders, and Hyungwon stays in the embrace of the last comfort of his life in silence until his father calls him away.

Chae Hyungwon is twelve when he realizes he never asked for the ability to toy with being and nonbeing. He never wanted to indirectly cause a death. And he never wanted to be sent to boarding school on his father’s terms after all this, knowing he might never see Minhyuk again.

After his grandmother’s passing, Hyungwon has begun avoiding social attachments out of fear of what he may do at an instance someone else he loves dies. And surely, he grows up not worrying about attachments at all anymore.

But he remains to honor the lives of those he’s loved in the past, especially that of his grandmother and of Minhyuk, which is why twenty four-year old Hyungwon becomes known as the Pie Maker of Seoul. What with his restaurant serving specialty pies and the best-selling flavor being strawberry, Hyungwon has finally found a good place to use his gift.

His grandmother’s pies have always tasted their most exquisite whenever she used fresh fruits, and Hyungwon has managed to craft the winning formula of his business. Rotten fruit bought for cheap, dead discarded fruits washed and ripened by his hands, reborn with everlasting flavor as long as he touches them only once.

 

* * *

 

“What’s the point in asking me the flavor of the day if you’re just going to order the same fucking pie, Changkyun?”

“Language, Jooheon hyung.”

Lee Jooheon, the only waiter and only other employee of _The Slice of Life_ , rolls his eyes and tucks his pencil behind his ear, placing a hand on his hip while staring down at the younger man in semi-formal clothes. “Fucking really.”

“I didn’t order sass this morning, hyung,” the man answers. “But if you want to rant about something, I’m all ears after you serve my pie.”

“Who said I wanted to rant?” Jooheon huffed. A brief silence looms between customer and server, broken by a defeated sigh. It’s been a year since he’s first hired in the restaurant, and six months since Im Changkyun has become a regular in the establishment. They know each other well enough, evident with Changkyun’s familiarity of Jooheon’s mannerisms and Jooheon’s undying frustration of Changkyun’s only single order. “Fine. One chocolate s’mores pie for the PI.”

“Thanks, hyung!”

“Don’t thank me when you’re on metformin one day, Changkyun,” Jooheon grunts as he walks off to the kitchen.

Changkyun only chuckles at the sight; he doesn’t need his sleuthing skills to know that Jooheon’s annoyance with his order stems from the fact that Changkyun hasn’t ordered anything else, ever. It’s always been chocolate s’mores pie since day one, and for good reason. One: it’s delicious; two: because Changkyun doesn’t want to risk eating any of the Pie Maker’s fruit-filled pastries.

This is because Changkyun is one of the two secret keepers of Hyungwon’s gift, and this means being aware of the nature of the pie’s fruits. How he had come to learn of it is a funny story involving his profession; a private investigator of rising merit, Im Changkyun had met Hyungwon while chasing after a criminal on an apartment rooftop. If memory serves him right, the criminal was a thief of valuable jewels owned by a former celebrity and while the thief was good in thieving, Changkyun couldn’t say the same about his ability to jump from one apartment rooftop to another. The criminal had tumbled between buildings with a non-survivable fall height housing a giant trash bin that so happens to be the very one Hyungwon is throwing his garbage in. Changkyun has watched the criminal’s body ricochet off the metal trash container, blood splattered on his forehead as his body falls on Hyungwon.

What Changkyun hadn’t expected then is to see the criminal run away as though he had fallen on a bouncy mattress instead. Hyungwon had then chased the criminal before the man can step foot outside the alleyway, and Changkyun had rubbed his eyes when he’s seen one touch from Hyungwon resume all balance of the universe by returning the man back to lifelessness.

With Changkyun as a witness to his unusual ability, Hyungwon had pleaded for the private investigator to keep mum. To his surprise, Changkyun eagerly agreed with him and even proposed a partnership. “Murders are much easier to solve when victims can be asked who exactly killed them,” Changkyun had said, and Hyungwon wasn’t one to turn down an offer when it ensures his secret being kept. And as a bonus, Changkyun had offered to split the reward every time they solve a case together, which had honestly kept _The Slice of Life_ still hanging on its lifeline after its pitiful dance on the verge of financial ruin for a long time.

Jooheon returns after twenty minutes, begrudgingly placing the plate of Changkyun’s favorite pie and a mug of hot tea in front of the man before plopping on the seat across him. The private investigator lets a minute pass, consuming a small piece of the pastry and savoring the rich chocolate flavor before asking, “So, what did Hyungwon hyung do this time?”

“Nothing,” Jooheon quickly answers, “And that’s the problem.”

Changkyun glances at his cup of tea and thinks the figurative tea Jooheon is spilling quenches his thirst (for information) already. “You know if you want him to open up to you, you should be willing to make the first move,” he says, plunging down the fork through his pie.

“It’s not like I haven’t been trying,” Jooheon replies with a frown. They both stare at the open view to the kitchen, watching Hyungwon work his magic on dough and flour. “But God, Changkyun. He won’t even high five with me. The only thing he willingly touches are pie ingredients and baking equipment.”

The investigator fails to suppress a low snort, apologizing softly when he meets Jooheon’s unimpressed glare. He can’t blame the older man for getting exasperated with Hyungwon’s lack of physical acknowledgement towards anything, especially considering that Jooheon may have a tiny crush on Hyungwon despite said exasperation. Objectively, the Pie Maker is attractive and easily mistaken for someone with a modeling career, but Changkyun does wonder how Jooheon would feel if he finds out said Pie Maker animates dead things back to life.

“You know I even doubt he touches Komodo,” Jooheon adds, crossing his arms.

Changkyun almost chokes on his tea. “I told him to change the gecko’s name but he still didn’t do it.”

“Dude, that’s his name for over ten years, why the heck would Hyungwon change it?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” In his mind, the private investigator thinks, _poor Komodo the identity crisis reptile_. “Besides, geckos can survive without their owner’s touch. I don’t think _you_ touch Komodo whenever Hyungwon asks you to babysit him.”

The server’s pale cheeks color with a pretty flush, affected by a past truth implied by the young investigator’s words. Jooheon has never been good with anything that makes his hairs stand on end and shoots his heart rate into a frenzy, and ‘anything’ has included animals like snakes, lizards, and geckos. “I do now. He isn’t so bad. He likes watching football with me too.”

Changkyun smiles against the hot ceramic edges of the mug, amused with his hyung leveling up his friendship with Hyungwon’s pet. “You could try talking to Hyungwon hyung about Komodo too.”

“I _tried_ , Kyun. Just last night too,” he whines, pouting so cutely that Changkyun hides a smile to avoid slighting the older man’s feelings with a misunderstanding. “Why did I have to like someone so… so emotionally constipated?”

Changkyun shrugs, having no answer to that and feeling slightly guilty that he can’t share his theories with Jooheon. And while they’re on the topic of liking someone, fate decides to face Changkyun with his very own feelings.

The world moves in slow motion for Changkyun as the entrance of the restaurant opens; while he stuffs his cheeks with a hefty portion of his pie slice, a familiar voice greets the almost empty restaurant with joyful vigor and overpowers Jooheon’s question of, “So why are you here this early, Kyun?”

A wheeled cart filled to the brim with the most colorful flowers moves across the tiled floors of _The Slice of Life_ , pushed by one Mr. Lee Hoseok who works just next door. He owns _Loves Me / Loves Me Not_ , a flower shop with the dumbest name in Changkyun’s honest opinion, and the handsomest face in the world, also in Changkyun’s honest opinion. And if only Jooheon is observant enough, he’d have noticed the investigator’s tiniest shift in demeanor the moment Lee Hoseok enters the room, and realize the answer to his question is figuratively under his nose and literally just feet away from it.

“Good morning, sunshines!” Hoseok cheers, smiling with full cheeks as he closes the door behind him. On cue, a loud crackle of thunder booms from outside.

“Sunshine my butt,” Jooheon grumps, glaring at the pouring rain outside. Changkyun, meanwhile, doesn’t mind the rain because if Hoseok calls him a sunshine, then he’s a sunshine. How can Changkyun call out the contradicting greet anyway with how bright and beautiful Lee Hoseok is after saying that? But he guesses contradictions outside the legalities of the cases and testimonies he’d handle and hear are lovely in their own way, with Lee Hoseok being the prime example.

Lee Hoseok, who has greeted them with a contradiction to bring a cheery aura despite the gloomy weather outside. Lee Hoseok, whose soft personality contradicts the stereotype associated with men of his well-built figure. Lee Hoseok, who has contradicted Changkyun’s belief that he’ll never fall for someone in his entire lifetime.

And Lee Hoseok, who has contradicted Hyungwon’s wish of having no one else know his secret way before Changkyun has entered both their lives (and became the second contradiction).

As one of the keepers of Hyungwon’s secret, Lee Hoseok visits _The Slice of Life_ every week to deliver a portion of his greenhouse-grown flowers. It’s another of Hyungwon’s partnerships, this time borne from his money-saving habits. If Hyungwon is to revive rotten fruits, he needs an equivalent life in exchange. Any flora will do, and it’s just his luck that the shop next door sells flowers. Out of politeness, Hyungwon decides to buy flowers to avoid Hoseok from going bankrupt due to his flowers spontaneously dying.

Hoseok had learned about Hyungwon’s secret just a few weeks after their agreement, fainting in the empty restaurant on a winter morning when he had first seen Hyungwon freshen up a brown and battered peach into life with just one touch. After hours of explaining to Hoseok of his gift (and begging his secret to be kept), the florist reluctantly agreed to continue their partnership, initially concerned with selling his precious flowers to their impending death. But when Hyungwon had begun sending back the wilted flowers to Hoseok together with the suggestion of making them compost, the reluctance is exchanged with appreciation after seeing how much healthier his new flowers grew.

“What’s got you down today, Jooheonnie?” Hoseok asks, sending the young server a concerned look before waving at the kitchen view. Hyungwon, from the distance, raises a hand to signal ‘ _wait first_ ’ as he loads the oven with a new batch of pies for the day.

“I ordered the same pie again and it annoyed him,” Changkyun answers, considerate of his hyung’s feelings. To the joy of the little butterflies in his stomach, Hoseok flashes his most endearing smile at the young investigator.

“I know you’re not fond of the fruit flavors, but there’s no harm in trying them, Changkyunnie,” the florist answers with a wink. Now Im Changkyun is a trained professional, a private eye with a brilliance in forensics and in masking emotions, but his heart betrays him easily with one minute gesture. Heat blooms in his cheeks, and he wishes that Hoseok, if he notices, will assume it’s from the context of Hyungwon’s abilities in their exchange rather than the idea of Changkyun harboring a crush on him.

“I’m good, thanks,” he mutters, feeling his taste buds lose interest in appreciating another forkful of his favorite pie. Out of all the side effects of having a secret crush on Hoseok, the one Changkyun dislikes the most is his loss of appetite.

Hunger be damned too now that Hoseok’s sweet smile is now engraved in his thoughts and is enough to supply the glucose demand of Changkyun’s brain.

“And you’re here pretty early too, Changkyunnie. What’s up?”

 _To see you again_ , says Changkyun’s brain. “To talk to Hyungwon hyung about a case,” says Changkyun’s mouth.

Hoseok gives Changkyun an understanding nod, aware of his and Hyungwon’s murder mystery-solving ventures. “Okay,” he grins. He walks closer to Changkyun and tousles the younger’s hair lightly. “You and Hyungwon take care.”

“Wait a sec, so you’re stealing him again from the restaurant?” Jooheon gasps, slapping Changkyun’s hand lightly to grab the younger man’s attention. “Yo, you know we have to sell pies.”

Changkyun sighs, tearing his eyes away from Hoseok when the older man wheels the flower-filled cart into the kitchen. “I’m not stealing him from _you_ ,” Changkyun emphasizes, hand over his abdomen as he feels his appetite return again. “And come on, you know that the reward money we get for solving murder mysteries is what keeps this restaurant on its feet.”

Jooheon sighs. It’s the reality of their business, he supposes. Pies aren’t exactly the most popular desserts in the country, and they need more than just a handful of loyal customers to pay the bills. Jooheon’s even surprised that he receives the salary he currently has, knowing how poorly pie sales can be at certain days of the week. If he has to be honest, he knows the real sellers of this restaurant are the hot beverages and a number of pie flavors he can count with just one hand.

“Guess I’m babysitting Komodo again, then,” the man grunts, pouting. “Keep him extra safe for me?”

“We won’t be doing anything dangerous,” Changkyun clarifies in a muffled voice, cheeks now stuffed with the mixed flavor of marshmallows and chocolate again. “We’re just visiting the morgue.”

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe we’re going to the morgue again,” Hyungwon sighs, shifting gears at the sight of the green stop light turning on.

Changkyun, by his side, flips through his phone nonchalantly. “Are you still not used to the morgue, hyung?”

“What I’m not used to is telling the coroner I’m a different kind of professional every single time we visit,” the older replies, grimacing slightly when all the younger man does is reply with a soft chuckle. “Changkyun, the coroner isn’t dumb.”

“I never said anything about Coroner Son being dumb,” Changkyun defends, eyes still focused on his phone. “If he already caught on and still doesn’t say anything, that means he’s just minding his own business. Or maybe he even finds it amusing, you know? Like it’s the running gag of our interactions with him. He needs something to make him laugh, considering he’s always working with dead bodies.”

Hyungwon’s stomach lurches at those two words. At this point of his mystery-solving partnership with Changkyun, Hyungwon has grown accustomed to seeing lifeless bodies and bringing them to life for the sake of their job. First touch, alive for gathering information; second touch, dead for the restoration of the universe’s balance. But the potential goriness of corpses (because yes, Hyungwon has seen his fair share of stab wounds and missing limbs) still fail to outweigh the complexity of emotions that come with reviving what should be dead. But Changkyun, single-minded in the good of his services (and the benefit of his wallet), has convinced Hyungwon that his role in their job brings a sense of comfort and closure to the people who have hired them. So far, this always rings true -- Hyungwon has heard from Changkyun the appreciation his clients have expressed with words and tears, sometimes with monologues expressing how they don’t have to seek revenge against the killer anymore, apart from the agreed monetary compensation.

Still, it’s a bit off-putting that some people call dead bodies _dead bodies_. Most people don’t realize the weight of a life until the life of one close to them is gone, and the bodies they leave behind are never just _dead bodies_. Despite Changkyun’s absent-minded remark a few seconds ago, Hyungwon knows that younger man is very respectful towards the departed. As a private eye and a forensics enthusiast, Changkyun has been exposed to both the scientific aspect of investigation and the psychosocial side, aware that dead bodies used to be brimming with life, carrying a soul that yearned and aspired and dreamed.

Maybe it’s why Hyungwon is comfortable talking to him even though he’s sworn off attachment twelve years ago. Changkyun understands his mindset in terms of the departed and does not tease him with what he can do either. To an extent, Hoseok is the same too with how empathetic he is, but he’s not the one Hyungwon accompanies to the building that houses cadavers.

“So, brief me again on our case,” Hyungwon says, taking a turn to the left and ignoring the voice ringing from his phone’s GPS navigator. “A dog murdered its owner and it's going to be sentenced to death because of it?”

“That’s what was declared,” Changkyun says. “But the owner’s family insists it’s not the dog, though. As docile as a kitten, they say.”

“What’s the dog’s breed?”

“Chow Chow.”

Hyungwon snorts. “That breed is most likely to turn against its owner, but I’m sure you know that.”

“Glad you don’t underestimate my knowledge,” Changkyun laughs. “But like I said, the family heavily insists their dog is innocent that they put up a reward for anyone who’d like to solve the mystery.”

“And where there’s a reward, there’s also Im Changkyun,” Hyungwon chuckles.

 

* * *

 

The facts were these: Park Namhyung, a forty-two year old entrepreneur of a growing company, was found mauled to death in his office with half of his face bitten off. His dog, Melon, was the sole witness and sole suspect for the murder. Convinced that she’s innocent, the Park family offered a hefty reward to find the real killer.

“You’re the dog expert?”

Hyungwon is thankful that the coroner’s office is well air-conditioned, or else the man will notice Hyungwon’s nervousness manifest into his skin sweating bullets. Son Hyunwoo, the local morgue’s coroner, eyes down Hyungwon for what seems to be the fifty-fourth time this year. The fifty-fourth time that Hyungwon introduces himself with a different profession, and fifty-fourth time Hyungwon finds his anxiety growing from how the coroner perceives his actions.

“I am,” he croaks. He glances at Changkyun, straight-faced as ever save for the humor localized in his eyes.

“Mhmm.”

And Coroner Son stands up without another word, keys in hand to open the room of bodies containing the exact one they’re looking for. While Hyungwon exhales in relief and steps on Changkyun’s left rubber shoe for snickering lightly, Coroner Son wonders how much the private eye is going to give him this time for letting them investigate the body. He also wonders when Changkyun will tell his seemingly anxious investigative partner that Hyunwoo’s asking professions just to tease, but he admits it’s funny watching the lanky man affirm to be of different specialties.

But his biggest wonder is what exactly Changkyun and his investigative partner do once they face the corpse of interest. If he doesn’t have any self-control, Coroner Son would find out that Changkyun is standing a foot away from Hyungwon while the not-dog expert clicks a knob on his special watch, ticking down a one-minute timer as he touches the skin of formerly alive Park Namhyung. If he caves to his curiosity, Coroner Son would discover the not-dog expert talking to alive-again Park Namhyung and asking how did he die.

“Damn dog,” alive-again Park Namhyung tells Hyungwon.

“Melon?” the not-dog expert asks.

“Not Melon, she’s as docile as a kitten.” Changkyun in the backdrop nods. “My secretary’s rottweiler. She sent the thing after me when I told her she was fired.”

If Coroner Son has chosen to spy on them, he would have heard that conversation, and he would have seen the not-dog expert touch alive-again Park Namhyung on the shoulder and reduce him to formerly-alive again, as he should be.

But instead, he sits still in his office as he waits for the private eye and his not-dog expert partner return from the room of bodies, and asks, “Is it the Chow?” when they finally stand in front of him.

Awkwardly, the not-dog expert Chae Hyungwon answers, “The secretary… her rottweiler,” before walking away and not looking back. Changkyun flashes Coroner Son with a short but dimpled smile before placing an envelope of money onto the coroner’s desk.

Even if Coroner Son doesn’t satiate his curiosity, he at least has Changkyun’s trust and decent compensation for his services. He also hears the truth behind the mystery of some murders, and that’s enough for him to live with.

The news of Park Namhyung’s secretary being arrested airs that evening on the television, with one Lee Jooheon watching on his couch as he strokes a little gecko’s head lightly. After months of gecko-sitting, he’s only come to appreciate the reptile outside its connection to the Pie Maker that he’s comfortable enough to let it walk outside its portable glass container. In fact, he wonders if Hyungwon gives Komodo this kind of attention when they’re in their apartment flat, or if he’s just as disconnected with his pet the same way he’s disconnected with everyone else.

Three knocks on his door, and Jooheon leaps onto his feet. “It’s him,” he whispers to Komodo, and places the reptile back in his portable home. He dashes all the way to the door and wears a big smile before opening it.

Chae Hyungwon is always a majestic sight, and Jooheon purses his lips together in case his mouth-brain barrier malfunctions.

“Good evening, Jooheon,” Hyungwon greets politely.

“Good evening, hyung,” he greets, voice softer as he steps aside. “Come in.”

Much to Jooheon’s dismay, Hyungwon’s attention is quickly averted to Komodo. If only he can get rid of the feelings he has for his employer, then he would, since he can’t even fathom how this man can remain so emotionally disconnected with everyone. Heck, sometimes he wishes Hyungwon shows an inch of interest towards someone who isn’t even him, just so he can feel relieved that the person he sort-of-is-crushing-on-but-just-really-want-to-be-friends-with isn’t a walking robot.

But who is Jooheon kidding anyway? Walking robot or not, he still has a wish to get closer to Hyungwon the way Changkyun and Hoseok have. He gets the professional front they have to keep in the restaurant, but outside it? Really? Can’t they act like normal neighbors who’d chat with each when they pass by each other in the hallway or invite each other over on a designated pizza night?

He sighs in sadness as he follows Hyungwon to the living room, finding the man staring at his gecko with a tiny smile on his face. Jooheon can’t help but smile too, realizing that his previous thoughts of Hyungwon being completely disconnected with his own pet having a turnabout.

“I fed him already, so don’t worry about that,” Jooheon says, and he feels his heart stop for a second when Hyungwon faces him with the same small smile. _So dashing_.

“Thank you, Jooheon. I truly appreciate it.”

“You’re totally welcome, Hyungwon.” The taller man blinks, and Jooheon feels like shrinking again. “Um. I can… call you Hyungwon, right?”

“Of course! We’re outside the restaurant. I’m just not used to it,” the man replies. Poor Jooheon can’t help but realize how sad this all is, since he and Hyungwon just live next door to one another and yet Hyungwon isn’t used to hearing Jooheon call him by his name.

“Yeah, I kinda want to kick the habit of calling you boss even outside work,” he laughs. He’s close to pity-patting himself on his back until Hyungwon actually does chuckle in response.

“Likewise,” the Pie Maker says with a nod. “Sorry I left Komodo with you again, Jooheon. I really appreciate the work you do for me in and outside the restaurant, I hope you know that.”

Jooheon tries not to trail off another laugh suspiciously. If he has to be honest, Jooheon does want to say he feels a little underappreciated at times. Good pay and civil interactions are enough between an employer and employee, but definitely not for a petsitter and neighbor. But Changkyun has said time and time again, “You’ve worked under him longer than we’ve been investigative partners, surely you’d understand that he’s just really bad at socializing.”

And so the man just nods to answer, but he does take a chance at one thing that makes him curious. “How do you spend time with Komodo?”

If Jooheon isn’t mistaken, Hyungwon’s face turns slightly pink. “We don’t… actually do much. I’m busy with _The Slice of Life_ to spend time with him. But! But when I do have time, I like petting him.”

Jooheon raises a brow. “Like petting with your hand? Fingers?”

Hyungwon, despite his hesitance, shakes his head in virtuous honesty. “Stick.”

“Stick,” Jooheon repeats. “Don’t you touch him? You know touching your pet directly shows more affection.”

“I… am kind of allergic to scales,” Hyungwon reasons. So much for being honest, and Hyungwon can’t help but feel guiltier towards Jooheon. Because unbeknownst to his only employee, Hyungwon’s distance from him stems from his guilt, his lack of complete honesty towards the most hardworking person he knows. Hyungwon truly admires Jooheon for putting so much care in serving pies, or even making them if Hyungwon asks him to while he’s out to do other errands or going to the morgue with Changkyun, and it pains his conscience that he keeps things behind the server’s back just because of his gift.

Changkyun has even told him a few weeks back that Jooheon isn’t a fan of animals that aren’t cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits, and yet he takes on the responsibility of entertaining Komodo. If there’s a way he can show Jooheon more appreciation without having to divulge his secret, he probably will.

But for now, Hyungwon has zero ideas on how to accomplish this and will have to bear the brunt of his guilt for a little longer.

“Why have a reptile as a pet, then?”

Hyungwon bites his lip. It’s complicated, to be honest. Maybe it’s because he’s aware of the weight of Komodo’s life after discovering what the price of his gift is, and maybe it’s because he’s a reminder of the love his father had once shown him before suddenly leaving him to live with his grandmother, and then leaving him in a boarding school to never come back again.

“He’s my last connection to the happier days of my childhood,” is all he answers. Jooheon doesn’t say more -- It’s the most honest he’s heard Hyungwon be, and he knows they aren’t close enough for him to pry nor does he want to try.

And with that one sentence follows the event that changes everything. The loud jingle of _BREAKING NEWS REPORT_ breaks through the silence of the room, catching the attention of the two men. And Hyungwon doesn’t know why, but he keeps his ears sharp as the woman on the screen begins speaking.

“The body of a young man murdered aboard a cruise ship is recovered from the sea. The identity of the victim is still being withheld--”

Hyungwon intently listens to the news, unaware that he’s holding his breath and subconsciously haunted by the nameless man who has met his end on the high seas. All these reactions, and yet he doesn’t know why.

Days pass, and Hyungwon still remains concerned for some unknown reason on the news of the murdered victim of the cruise line. Perhaps it’s because of its viral spread throughout the country, becoming the talk of the town and of social media. Days pass, and little information gets added about the victim. Day one adds that the victim has been traveling alone. Day two reveals the trip has been a roundabout cruise to and from a tropical tourist spot. Day three says the ship’s captain has dismissed the death as an accident. Day four reveals a reward is being offered to anyone who can find the potential murderer, even if the police authorities have dismissed it to be, as the captain has said, an accident.

And where there’s a reward, there’s Im Changkyun.

The young investigator rolls back the sleeves of his black jacket and long-sleeved dress shirt before digging in a slice from Hyungwon’s freshly baked chocolate s’mores pie. “Been watching the news lately, hyung?” the younger asks, watching Hyungwon shuffle behind the counter to arrange displayed glassware and ceramicware.

“Mhmm. There doesn’t seem to be much going on in the world besides the death of someone on a boat.”

There’s _that_ glint in Changkyun’s eyes. “There’s a lot going on with that man too.”

Hyungwon holds his breath.

“A million won, to be precise.”

“What the fuck.”

Changkyun smirks. Hyungwon doesn’t tell him the corner of his lip is smudged with chocolate. “Interested in a conversation?”

“I’m already persuaded,” Hyungwon says. The restaurant has bills needed to be paid, and so does his own apartment flat too.

“Good, because the man is about to be brought six feet underneath.”

Hyungwon scratches the back of his head with one hand as he fixes a bunch of spoons and forks with the other. “Didn’t they just pull him out of the water?”

“He has a living will, says he'd want to be buried as soon as possible if he dies prematurely. Guy doesn't have any living direct family, apparently,” Changkyun hums. “He has one cousin, a minor, with parents living abroad. That's his closest relative.”

“That’s… sad.” Hyungwon can’t imagine how much of a travesty this is for that child. He grabs a plate for wiping. “So, where are we going?”

“A small neighborhood in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Ever been there before? You’re from Gwangju too, right?” Changkyun asks.

Hyungwon doesn’t like where this is going. He begins drawing circles more slowly on the center of the plate. “I grew up there.” He gulps. “This… dead man from there, what’s his name?”

“Lee Minhyuk. Twenty-four, they say he's a painter.”

The plate shatters around Hyungwon’s feet as he stares at the entrance doors, the memory of his first kiss and the brightest smile he’s ever seen flash before his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you've reached this far, thanks for reading!!! <3 wow thanks for stomaching such a weird plot, i'm truly thankful and i hope you stay tuned for the rest!!!  
> credits to [bluemoonrabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonrabbit/gifts) for giving me the idea of Hoseok's flower shop's name and for supporting me in writing this fic, you're the best :')
> 
> twt: tsunwrites


	2. a bloom of daffodils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit note: i've changed the last part in the previous chapter - instead of minhyuk's cousin not having family either, wrote that his parents are living abroad
> 
> again, sorry if the narration style is a bit weird. please enjoy the chapter! :'D

The indescribable feeling of hearing your first love has literally died is, well, indescribable. Especially through verbal articulation, and it’s at that moment when Hyungwon embodies the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.”

It’s not just the plate dropping as memories of his youth with Lee Minhyuk rewind in his thoughts like a grayed out film montage; it’s also the silence holding as Changkyun snaps his fingers in front of Hyungwon’s face, the faux smiling while lying through his teeth with, “Sorry, slip of the hand.” It’s the passive presence he exudes throughout the day, the absent stares he gives Jooheon when the server tries to ask him something, the easy lies that slip past his lips when Hoseok visits and notices his gaze lacks any focus.

It’s the measly walking home by foot, the sudden but temporary amnesia of knowing he owns a car to drive himself home, to process the words provided to him that unraveled the mystery of his curiosity and the mystery of the dead man. To process that the dead man is Minhyuk, and now Minhyuk is gone, and Hyungwon hasn’t even been given a chance to meet him since the day they’ve parted twelve years ago.

It’s the tears that suddenly fall when he arrives home, his disregard of his own worn out muscles, as he realizes that he hasn’t cried in years. It’s the lazy retreat to his bed, still clad in his outfit of the day, as he curls up into himself and holds a pillow tightly to his chest.

There is still a special place for Minhyuk in Hyungwon’s heart after all these years, and his disbelief manifests into a melding of pent up loneliness mixed with raw grief.

He falls asleep with swollen eyelids and reddened scleras, his last thought a wish for clarity despite the newfound pain in his heart.

 

* * *

 

“Lilies and chrysanthemums, as you asked.”

“And a single rose,” murmurs Hyungwon, eyes fixated on the flower he hasn’t asked Hoseok to add to the funeral bouquet arrangement. The florist meekly smiles at him and takes a seat right next to the Pie Maker, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Hyungwon,” Hoseok says, eyes shining with care and kindness. “Correct me if I’m wrong – even without words, it’s clear you’ve cared a great deal about this person.”

“ _You love him_ , thinks the florist,” thinks Hyungwon to himself. He bows his head in acknowledgement. It’s easy to open up his feelings to Hoseok; there’s something about his genuineness that makes Hyungwon hope there’s someone worth trusting his thoughts to in this world, and what more now during the peak of his vulnerability? He’s kept his deep and unwavering love for his childhood sweetheart hidden for so long, and his breakdown last night serves as his first lesson on the disadvantages of keeping the heaviest weights for himself in the figurative sense.

“What does the single rose mean?” he asks. Hoseok purses his lips, and that alone is an answer.

“Changkyun says you’re visiting to find out who murdered him,” the florist adds. “But I’m worried you aren’t ready to see him.”

“Of course I’m not,” Hyungwon sighs, gaze shifting to his barely polished leather shoes. When can anyone be ready to revive their dead love only to return them to death? “But… I don’t know. He’s going to be buried soon, so this is my last chance to say goodbye.”

And maybe, just maybe, Hyungwon can also give Minhyuk the apology long overdue of having accidentally exchanged Mr. Lee’s life for his grandmother’s short-lived second one. And even if that confession will lead to Minhyuk cursing him before his last second breath, so be it – Hyungwon knows he has to own up to his mistake and the possible scorn of his childhood sweetheart will be understandable.

“Is he the reason why you’ve never tried meeting new people?” Hoseok asks, standing up. He grabs a nearby spray bottle and spritzes its contents at the protruding soil beds of tiny potted plants. “I know you don’t want to form attachments after your childhood, but I wonder if maybe the right person can change your mind and you just haven’t met them yet or gave anyone who tried a chance.”

Hyungwon shakes his head. He appreciates the concern, but truly, Hyungwon has stuck to avoiding close relationships ever since. He’s had a few friends back in his boarding school days as well as his college days, yet they have only scratched the surface. It isn’t like Hyungwon evidently withdraws either; he guesses he just has a knack for finding fair-weathered friends for his fair-weathered life back when he was still studying.

But in terms of romance, Hyungwon has never found someone to invest the same depth of feelings like he has with Minhyuk and is sure that it’s _not_ just because of his attachment issues. It just so happens that no one piques his interest like Minhyuk has, no one has bothered to get to know Hyungwon despite his demeanor like Minhyuk has, and no one has made Hyungwon feel anything remotely close to what Minhyuk has.

“Romance hasn’t been my priority, hyung,” he answers simply. “But even if it is, I won’t find anyone like him.”

Hoseok nods, turning his back and spraying the other box full of little sproutlings. “That’s a sweet sentiment. Or, well… bittersweet. I’m really sorry, Hyungwon.”

“It’ll pass, hyung,” he answers softly. Just like how his sadness has when he has been a twelve year-old stripped of every living thing he’s loved except for his pet gecko. He looks down at the bouquet nestled in his arms, transfixed at the single rose that stands out so beautifully like Minhyuk had in his youth. “How much am I going to pay?”

Hoseok turns and smiles at him. “It’s on me.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm,” the florist hums. “You take care of Changkyun for me, it’s the least I can do for you and someone you’ve loved.”

 

* * *

 

The facts were these: Lee Minhyuk, twenty-four years of age, was found floating in the sea moments after his body was discarded there. Whoever discarded him was a question only Lee Minhyuk could answer.

The bus ride on the way to Dong-gu, Gwangju, to the small neighborhood holding Minhyuk’s funeral, has only two passengers in it. A mourning Chae Hyungwon sits silently with his head leaning on the window above his seat, gazing at the unfamiliar buildings that have been raised since his absence. The only thing he remembers is the route back with the specific buses for his commute, but everything else is a vision of urbanization brought to life. He wishes he has the will to strike a conversation with Changkyun to shift his thoughts from overdue nostalgia, but talking of his dread of change will just drag the investigator’s mood down. Hyungwon owes Changkyun some peace of mind, especially after the younger has worried about Hyungwon’s obviously frazzled state yesterday.

An inquisitive Im Changkyun scrolls through his phone, reading company details and news of _SEE THE SEAS Travel Agency_ . There’s something fishy when a mere one year-old travel agency proposes a hefty sum to find a civilian’s murderer, and Changkyun _needs_ to have his curiosity satiated. He wishes he could talk to Hyungwon about it to shed more light on the case (and maybe slowly convince his investigative partner that he isn’t always after money), but the case’s victim has such a deep impact on the Pie Maker. Changkyun owes Hyungwon space to think, especially after the older has worried poor Jooheon and caring Hoseok from his daze.

In the silence of the bus ride, Hyungwon ends up falling asleep, leaving Changkyun to make sure the bouquet of flowers in his investigation partner's hands doesn’t fall from the seat and to entertain himself when a certain special someone sends a message.

   

> _Conversation: shinwonho + im.changkyun_
> 
> **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _are you in gwangju already?_
> 
> **_Private I.M:_ ** _yeah_
> 
> **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _ok :)_ _  
> _ **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _did hyungwon bring the flowers?_
> 
> **_Private I.M:_ ** _he did_ _  
> _ **_Private I.M:_ ** _thank you for arranging it for him, hyung_
> 
> **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _it’s a pleasure :)_ _  
> _ **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _keep an eye out for him_
> 
> **_Private I.M:_ ** _will make sure he doesn’t trip_
> 
> **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _hehe you stay safe too inspector cutie <3 _
> 
> **_Private I.M:_ ** _haha very funny hyung_

 

But Im Changkyun doesn’t find it a mocking kind of funny at all; rather, it’s the _You’re being platonically sweet to me and you don’t know I actually like-like you a lot_ kind of funny, with the way he hides a tiny smile as Hoseok mushily asks Changkyun not to speak of purely business when he and Hyungwon face alive-for-a-minute Lee Minhyuk later.

 

* * *

 

They arrive in a small bus shed just fifteen minutes away from the funeral parlor, words absent from their eye contact-limited exchanges. Changkyun lets himself walk just a few centimeters behind Hyungwon in case the man still needs his space. He does keep his word that he’ll watch the Pie Maker’s steps, ensuring the lanky man won’t trip on any stray rocks as he carries the bouquet without looking back.

The funeral parlor is packed as they step in. At least, it’s packed on one side of the wide ground floor, holding a service for one resident of the neighborhood neither Changkyun nor Hyungwon has interest in. The Pie Maker holds the bouquet in search for the room where Lee Minhyuk’s coffin is kept, while the private investigator holds his phone in search for the funeral director to show them the room Hyungwon is searching for. Unbeknownst to them, said funeral director is in the exact room they’re looking for, snatching a gold-plated locket on Lee Minhyuk’s personage, adding another valuable in his stolen items-filled pockets shamelessly before pulling down the casket lid.

The greed of the man is gone unnoticed by Hyungwon and Changkyun as he meets them for the first time. Without so much of a bow nor a welcoming greet, at least Changkyun knows something is off. But he stays quiet for the sake of Hyungwon, who doesn’t seem to be interested in anything else but to see Lee Minhyuk again. They are led into the room, devoid of anything eye-catching save for the cream-white casket and one flower wreath next to it.

Hyungwon takes a step forward after a few seconds, walking slowly as he approaches the casket. The bouquet almost slips to the ground, immediately caught by Changkyun before it can do so. The investigator places the flowers gently on the stool just next to the wreath, fixing the centrally-placed rose with care.

“Can I do this alone?” asks Hyungwon, whose hand is resting on the casket lid while facing away from Changkyun. The investigator nods slowly, even though the Pie Maker cannot see it. “On the, uh, account of… knowing him before.”

“Of course you can,” Changkyun replies thoughtfully. “If you have anything personal to say, it’s between you and him.”

Hyungwon turns around, and Changkyun quickly reads the emotions underlying his somber expression – thankfulness, heartbrokenness, nervousness. It’s not in Changkyun’s nature to assume feelings despite the need to deduce or induce in his field of work, but he senses an underlying childhood-rooted love from his partner and friend. Whether he’s wrong or right is out of the question, and all he can do is respect the boundaries Hyungwon wishes to have for this round of reviving.

“I don’t–I, uh… yeah, I just… want to gain a small amount of closure from… a mistake I’ve made before, one of the stupid mistakes kids do when they don’t know what they’re doing,” Hyungwon confesses, his voice low. He lets out a nervous and hollow chuckle before giving Changkyun an apologetic look. “I’m, uh, sorry… weirding you out and all.”

“Don’t. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Changkyun assures, even though it is odd to hear Hyungwon ramble in an almost neurotic manner. He bites his lip, remembering Hoseok’s request earlier, and tries to word kindly, “But… don’t forget to–”

“Ask how he died, yeah,” Hyungwon interrupts, nodding. “Yeah. That’s. That’s what we’re here for.”

 _You have 60 seconds_ , he wants to add, but it might pressure the Pie Maker too much. “I’ll be outside,” he says instead before exiting the room. He stands in front of the door, eyeing down the other open rooms and the biggest open space of the floor with guests and a speaking priest, narrowing eyes discreetly when he notices the funeral director waddling past him with pockets that seemingly jingle and jangle with every step he makes.

He thinks of sneaking behind the man, wanting to prove his hunch correct, but his attention is immediately caught by a familiar face passing by – one he’s often seen when he visits _Loves Me / Loves Me Not_.

   

> **_Private I.M:_ ** _Hoseok hyung?_
> 
> **_Handsome Florist:_ ** _hmm changkyunnie?_
> 
> **_Private I.M:_ ** _is Gwanghyun working today?_

 

While Changkyun tries solving the next mystery that has unfolded in his mind, Hyungwon battles the storm of emotions whirling within him. Anxiety towers above them all, fearful of the unknown once he brings Minhyuk back to life. Will he be able to say everything he wants to Minhyuk within a minute or less? Will he be able to speak when Minhyuk’s breathing? Will he be able to think when Minhyuk looks at him? Will he be able at all?

In theory, the feat of bringing your childhood love back to life sounds more agonizing than exciting, and Hyungwon can attest to this. But he can also attest to the agony washing away once the casket lids are raised, because once you see your childhood love before your eyes again with the power to revive them in your fingertips, all you can think about _is_ bringing them to life again just for the chance to hear their voice once again.

 _God,_  he breathes. Minhyuk has grown into a handsome man, with such beautiful lips and a lovely jawline. His eyes are closed, his pretty eyelashes still against the quiet air of the room, and Hyungwon wonders if Minhyuk still has that uneven blink that he finds so, so endearingly adorable.

At this moment, Hyungwon grows to understand the feelings of Prince Charming from those fairytales of his youth. With such beauty before him came temptation, but Hyungwon knows better than to kiss him awake. He places much thought on where his reviving touch should go. An index finger extended, Hyungwon hovers over Minhyuk’s solemn face – the lips? Too forward.

The cheek?

The cheek.

A click on the one-minute countdown timer on his watch, followed by one light touch on pale cold skin, and Hyungwon watches color bloom beautifully in the man’s face. Slowly, _slowly,_ Minhyuk’s eyes fly open, and Hyungwon barely has time to appreciate when he feels a tug on his necktie pull his body forward and thrash his head against the casket lid.

“Ow!”

He stumbles backwards, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead as fast as he can while trying to regain balance. In front of him, Lee Minhyuk jumps off his coffin, his black formal suit dusting off with every movement he makes until he picks up a nearby chair. Hyungwon raises his hands up immediately in defense, for fear that Minhyuk may throw the piece of furniture at him instead.

“Who are you?!” Minhyuk shouts, voice just as raspy as it has been in their youth but deeper. Hyungwon can’t help but swoon even when his anxiety is pounding in his head. “I’m not afraid to throw this!”

“W-Wait, Minmoongie!” he pleads. “R-Remember the boy who lived across you until 6th grade?”

His heart is pounding wildly now as Minhyuk lowers the chair, slowly, _slowly_ smiling the same bright smile Hyungwon has known and loved and slowly, _slowly_ approaching Hyungwon as his body relaxes. “Hyungwon? Hyungwonnie?! Oh my God?! How are you?”

It’s enough to send Hyungwon’s mind in a panic – Minhyuk’s here, alive, _breathing,_ more handsome than ever, with arms wide open to hug Hyungwon. And as much as Hyungwon wants to be in his embrace, he _can’t._ “I’m great,” he quickly says, backing up further just inches away from the wall. “A-And you look great! B-But, um, do you know what’s happening right now?”

The wide smile on Minhyuk’s face transforms into a confused look, his prettily-shaped eyes widening while he snaps his fingers. “I… don’t. I don’t! Am I in a dream?”

“Um, can you elaborate why you think you’re in a dream?” Hyungwon says sheepishly, still backing up as Minhyuk keeps walking forward.

“One minute I was being strangled to death with a plastic bag, and then I’m now here ‘cause you touched my cheek,” Minhyuk continues.

Hyungwon winces. “You were strangled to death with a plastic bag, and I’m not quite sure on how to sugarcoat it…”

Minhyuk blinks – _still uneven, just like it used to be –_  and glances at the open casket. Hyungwon doesn’t expect the soft, “Oh,” that his childhood sweetheart utters, surprisingly calm for someone who has to hear he has actually died already. Perhaps he’s still processing the news, but there’s not much time left. “So this is heaven, then? Or am I in hell? Am I a ghost?”

“You’re… alive again, but you only have sixty seconds,” Hyungwon says softly. He glances at his ticking watch. “Um… less than.”

Minhyuk looks back at him, amused yet confused. “What am I supposed to do in less than a minute?” he chuckles, expression full of incredulity.

“You could tell me who killed you, so justice would be served,” he answers immediately. _This is what you’re here for_ , he reminds himself, _above all else. I shouldn’t be selfish._

His childhood sweetheart exhales loudly, eyebrows furrowed as he speaks, “That’s really sweet of you, but I have no idea who did. Last thing I remember, I was getting ice from the ship freezer and I dropped my room keys inside… which was pretty dumb, why the heck was I holding them while getting ice?”

Hyungwon’s lip twitches, feeling the lightness of seeing Minhyuk again sink. Time is ticking to the last seconds he can let Minhyuk live, and the thought of losing Minhyuk again without getting the answers he needs…

“Is my time up?” Minhyuk asks softly. He sounds more concerned of the time itself rather than the fact he’s going back into the casket.

“I’m sorry…” is all Hyungwon can manage, forcing himself to meet Minhyuk’s confused gaze. He isn’t sure if he’s apologizing to his childhood sweetheart or to himself, and he only finds comfort in the fact that Minhyuk doesn’t look afraid of the circumstance he’s in.

And his heart aches even more when Minhyuk smiles again, pearly white teeth shining. “I guess that’s fine. Thanks for calling me Minmoongie, by the way. No one’s called me that since,” a step forward, “since you.”

Hyungwon licks his lips, looking down at his black Brogues. The fluttery feeling of being with his first love leaves its dormancy once more. He doesn’t know if Minhyuk has loved another since him, but to know that Minhyuk appreciates Hyungwon calling him by his childhood nickname sends his heart beating faster. He chuckles softly, feeling like the twelve-year-old Hyungwon sitting in the park swing set he so misses to be. “You know, I had a cru-ah, I was in l-” he stammers, heat pooling in his cheeks. Minhyuk already knows these. “Um… you… were my first kiss,” he says instead, plucking up the courage to look at Minhyuk.

The smile on his beloved’s face grows, his dark brown eyes shining like beautiful gems. “Yeah?” he laughs softly. “You were my first kiss too.”

 _You were my first love too_ _,_ is what Lee Minhyuk really wants to say. But Chae Hyungwon must know this already. He finds it adorable that the taller man stutters back the confession, but he understands. The Hyungwon he remembers can be bashful with his true feelings, and this is how Minhyuk knows this isn’t just a dream.

And if he’s going back to death’s embrace, he can at least ask for one last thing. “Can you be my last kiss too? Or is that weird?”

He doesn’t know that Hyungwon has contemplated on kissing him earlier to wake him up. And Hyungwon now is contemplating on how subverted it is for him to kiss his childhood love to eternal rest. But this is how things should be, and Hyungwon tries his best to smile. If Minhyuk has asked Hyungwon to kiss him again, then perhaps their feelings may still be the same after all these years.

“That’s not weird,” he says, grinning softly at sweet-faced Lee Minhyuk. “It’s… symmetrical.”

Minhyuk’s minute of life is nearly over as he shuts his eyes and leans in, waiting for Hyungwon’s lips to press against his own. Hyungwon’s heart clenches at Minhyuk’s beautiful features, still in awe of how age has cared for his sweetheart well, and he moves in slowly until the tips of their noses are a mere centimeters apart.

Hyungwon’s lips could only go so far, and he couldn’t will them to go any further.  

As a consequence, a life must be taken, and the greedy funeral director counting diamonds in the bathroom stall next door will also go no further.

The Pie Maker hears the defining thud, his eyes shifting sidewards as he realizes… he doesn’t have to kiss Minhyuk anymore.

Minhyuk doesn’t have to be dead anymore.

A minute and one second passes, and Minhyuk opens his eyes, unaware he’s now living his second life. He smiles brightly, beautifully, as he says, “You know, you don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to. I just thought–”

Hyungwon lets himself laugh. “No, no, I really, really want to,” he sighs, smile growing so widely he feels his cheeks hurt. He hasn’t smiled like this for years. Minhyuk leans closer until their noses almost touch, and Hyungwon maintains that tiny distance as much as he can. “I just thought… what if you didn’t have to be dead?”

Minhyuk nods, dark brown eyes staring straight at Hyungwon with amusement. “Well, that’d be preferable.”

The Pie Maker’s face muscles have never ached this much as he whispers, “Nobody can know,” the same way he or Minhyuk would have said it to each other when they were still children sharing secrets. He walks to the casket and pats the wood lightly. “Hop in, I’ll think of a way to get you out of here.”

A blush creeps on his cheeks as Minhyuk giggles and claps his hands together. He watches Minhyuk cozy himself up again on the casket bed before weighing his options. He _can_ try to sneak the casket out through the window, but Changkyun is no fool – he can estimate how long a minute is and will know something is fishy if he tries visiting the room with Minhyuk’s coffin gone. He can also try to convince Changkyun to return to Seoul while he attends Minhyuk’s funeral proper, but Changkyun may insist to stand by Hyungwon for Hyungwon’s sake.

“Hyungwon hyung?” comes Changkyun’s voice, followed by one soft knock on the door. Option number two, then.

“Can you stay still until I get back?” he whispers, eyes focused on Minhyuk’s own below him. Alive-again Lee Minhyuk hums happily in affirmation, and Hyungwon holds back the urge to kiss his forehead while closing the casket lid. Not completely, of course, as Minhyuk needs air to breathe again.

Hyungwon takes a deep breath and one last glance at the white casket, his heart thumping madly in his chest. There’s no turning back now, _Minhyuk’s alive,_ Hyungwon can’t lose him again.

He opens the door to find Changkyun with crossed arms, a concerned look on his face. “How was it, hyung?” the younger man asks.

With the best fake-exasperated exhale he can muster, Hyungwon shakes his head. “He… doesn’t know.”

“Oh.” Changkyun’s eyes narrow as he glances to his side. “So someone just threw his carcass overboard.”

“Y-Yeah… tragic,” he says softly. Which it is, but it’s not so tragic now that Lee Minhyuk is back in the world of the living again.

“You okay though, hyung?” Changkyun looks back at him. “Did you get to say what y–why is your eye twitching?”

“It is?” Hyungwon asks, and _oh_ , it is. “I was… on edge. Facing him again was… hard,” he continues with a soft voice. Unbeknownst to Hyungwon, Changkyun considers this a body language red flag – _He might be lying to me or he’s just a nervous wreck._

If the private investigator lets his gut feeling win, he will discover that the Pie Maker is deceiving him out of his good yet selfish intentions. But Im Changkyun trusts his investigative partner and has seen the pain of loss in his eyes and has heard the shakiness of anxiety in his voice since yesterday, making him willing to give Hyungwon the benefit of the doubt. And how can Hyungwon even think of duping him when he has been nothing but considerate?

“I can’t even imagine. I’m sorry, hyung,” Changkyun decides to reply, unsure of how to comfort but still trying to.

Hyungwon starts rubbing his arm and keeps his gaze away from Changkyun. A part of him feels guilty for putting up a facade of hurt, but he can’t make a mistake at this point. “Hey, I’m planning to stay for the service. You could go ahead if you want.”

Changkyun’s gut feeling twists inside again, but he chooses to ignore it. “I could stay with you, if you want. I don’t want you to feel alone, hyung.”

“Thanks, Changkyun-ah,” Hyungwon says, smiling bittersweetly at the wooden floor. Lying for the sake of love is still lying, and it leaves a terrible taste on his tongue. “But I think I should deal with this alone.”

The investigator nods slowly and takes a step away from his friend. He does need to return to the office and attend to pending cases. There is one he has solved already that needs to be filed away, and another of a missing party-addicted teenager that he’s already cracked last night. He only has to confirm his suspicions, requiring him to investigate a shady love-motel as soon as possible. “Send me a message when you’re back in _The Slice of Life,_ then,” he says before making his way to the door. He wonders if he should tell Hyungwon he won’t be alone for the funeral service, but there must be a reason Lee Gwanghyun has asked his boss to keep mum that the Drowned Dead Tourist is his cousin, Lee Minhyuk.

Hyungwon waits for Changkyun to exit the funeral parlor before entering the room of Lee Minhyuk’s coffin, and his smile snaps into a frown when he finds the coffin missing and the back door of the room wide open.

“Shit.”

 

* * *

 

On the back of a moving funeral van, Lee Minhyuk smiles in the darkness as he thinks of how he came to be here. He still finds it surreal to be suffocated on a cruise trip back to Korea, only to wake up in the presence of his first love. As nonsensical as this may be, wherein normal people will question their sanity this has happened them, Minhyuk tries to think on the more positive side of things. After all, how can he think of the downsides when he’s alive and reunited with Hyungwon after all these years?

Things had changed since his father died, and Minhyuk couldn’t say it’s the best kind of change. It wasn’t the worst kind either, given that he had lived a life with a good balance of happy and not-so-happy memories. After his father’s funeral, he was brought to Busan to live with his paternal grandparents and baby cousin Lee Gwanghyun, and has then learned how to tackle heavier responsibilities that his cozy home life in Gwangju hasn’t. To watch over two elderlies and one youth while figuring out his own life hasn’t been easy, coupled with nighttime thoughts of _what ifs_ and _if onlys_ _,_ like ‘what if Appa didn’t go?’ or ‘if only Hyungwon wasn’t sent away to a school I don’t know the name of.’ He’s grown to love the life he’s placed in anyway, persevering through a normal school life until he’s graduated from art school, and then moving out to a small apartment in Gwangju to work as a weekday graphic artist and weekend professional painter.

It pays well enough for him to feed himself well enough, but ‘well enough’ is not enough for Minhyuk. He still dreams of a more exciting life, fueled by the movies he’s watched and books he’s read, to the videos he’s edited for his job. So when his savings have reached a good six digits in his bank account after two years of office work and selling paintings, he decides a trip will be his best bet on experiencing the thrill in life that he’s yearned for. He’s also saved enough for his younger cousin, but honors the boy’s decision to enjoy his summer vacation working full-time in a flower shop before his autumn semester in college.

And the trip did enthuse the artist in Minhyuk. There had been beautiful sights to behold that were perfect for his next paintings, lovely scenery he had taken pictures of, and interesting people he had conversed with in different languages such as Japanese and English. The cruise enriched his bank of experiences, but even then, Minhyuk still hasn’t found the thrill he’s searched for.

Still, the cruise was a catalyst to the thrill that awaits his second life, as Minhyuk would have never been suffocated to death if not for _SEE THE SEAS Travel Agency_ giving him more than what he bargained for: a free ticket.

He waits in silence for thirty more minutes, feeling his coffin get lifted as muffled grunts from outside mumble how heavy it is. Minhyuk has half a mind to tell them he’s not as heavy as they complain him to be, but Hyungwon has said, “Nobody can know,” and thus he stays quiet for the time being.

And soon comes a voice, “I think somebody’s truck is on fire.” A familiar, figuratively heart-stopping voice. It’s Hyungwon, who has kept his promise to get Minhyuk out of the funeral parlor, and Minhyuk grins lovestruck. He laughs at the loud curses that slowly fade from earshot before shielding his eyes from the sunlight once his casket’s lid opens.

Only Sleeping Beauty knows what Minhyuk feels at that moment when he sees Hyungwon standing above the coffin, his thick lips smiling a relieved smile as he says, “Sorry I’m late.”

 

* * *

 

“I can’t even give you a hug? Seriously?”

Despite the weight of their conversation, Hyungwon can’t help but smile. Minhyuk looks so charming even when flabbergasted at the fact that they can never ever touch each other again.

Back in his spacious apartment flat, Hyungwon leans forward with his elbows pressed against the dinner table while Minhyuk sits in across him at a fair distance that prevents them from accidentally bumping each other. It’s been an hour since they’ve arrived and an hour since Hyungwon has begun explaining the circumstances of Minhyuk’s second life – revived by Hyungwon’s touch and may dissipate if they touch again. The irony clearly pains Minhyuk, who has always expressed love and closeness with touch.

“Sadly,” Hyungwon says with a weak smile.

Minhyuk gawks at him like a devastated puppy watching their owner abandoning them. “What if you need a hug? A hug could so cheer you up on a bad day!”

“I’m not a fan of hugs,” Hyungwon admits. _Not if it can kill you._

“Wonnie, a hug’s like an emotional Heimlich, like a squeeze to let out all the sads and bads choking you,” Minhyuk insists, playfully slamming a fist on the table. It makes the marshmallows in his mug of hot chocolate jump. “If you’re sad or mad, how am I supposed to cheer you up?”

“Your presence will be enough,” he smiles. Minhyuk cutely sticks his tongue out.

“What if you’re sad or mad because of me?”

“As I’ve said, your presence.” He listens to the raspy laugh Minhyuk makes, admiring his childhood sweetheart’s eyesmile. “You can’t touch me, Minhyuk, for both our sakes.”

The words come out sadder than he wants, though it _is_ pretty despairing that he can’t hug the man he feels so much love for. But Minhyuk’s smile grows cheeky, _always the positive moodmaker_ _,_ as he says, “Hmm, I guess a kiss is out of the question, then.”

Hyungwon grins. “Sadly.”

“I’m still thankful for you, Hyungwon. I went on that cruise to live a little more outside my boring life and got killed there, but you gave me a second chance. You came when I needed you most.” Minhyuk smiles endearingly at him as he toys with the bright yellow petals of Hyungwon’s potted daffodils. “Well, kinda. I actually needed someone the most before I got killed, but you get my point.”

He chuckles. Ever the joyful jokester. But even with how thankful Hyungwon is that Minhyuk is lightening up their talk, there are some important things that have to be said. With a sigh, he continues, “You understand you can’t go back to your old life, right?”

“If you give me a job in your pie shop and feed me, I could live with that,” Minhyuk says cheerily. “My job didn’t pay much and the routine might as well have killed me first, and I could always still paint and sell my stuff under an alias. My roommate sure as hell won’t miss me and I won’t miss him eith–fuck.”

It’s a first to see Minhyuk frown. “Gwanghyun. Fuck.”

Hyungwon blinks. He’s heard that name before… “Who’s that?”

“My cousin,” Minhyuk answers, pressing his lips together. “He thinks I’m dead. He thinks I’m dead!”

“The world does, Minhyuk,” Hyungwon reminds, lacing his fingers together. “But I hope you understand. This-This ability of mine… it raises so many questions. Morality, ethics, ‘why isn’t he dead yet’, people aren’t used to this sort of thing…”

A minute passes, with Hyungwon holding bated breath while watching Minhyuk twiddle his thumbs. “Yeah, they aren’t. I guess it’s fine… his parents still send him money and call him from time to time. Maybe I should take this as a chance to live with a fresh slate, without worrying about anything or anyone except myself–” A sigh and a smile. “–and you.”

Hyungwon places his hand on his chest and decides his favorite color is the rosy pink on Minhyuk’s cheeks. “Are you okay with that?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t,” Minhyuk smiles. “Are you okay with me staying with you?”

The Pie Maker nods. “I wouldn’t bring you back to life if I wasn’t.”

“How are we gonna sleep, though? I checked and you only have one bed.”

“I’ll sleep on the couch, gracious host I am,” Hyungwon replies. And timely enough, a yawn escapes his lips as he stretches his arms above. “I’ll go ahead, if you don’t mind. I’m kind of tired after chasing your coffin. You know where my bedroom is, and you can borrow any of my clothes.”

“Noted, Wonnie. And you really could’ve rode a car or something earlier, you know,” Minhyuk laughs, still amused at Hyungwon’s anecdote back in the bus that Hyungwon went after him on foot.  “Surprised you have better stamina now.”

“Only because I had to keep my promise to return to you,” Hyungwon reminds with a smile, finally standing up. He wishes he had more energy to entertain Minhyuk, to catch up with him after the lost years between them, but he supposes there’s a tomorrow for that, and a tomorrow after tomorrow.

He has all the tomorrows to spend with Minhyuk now, and Hyungwon can’t feel any happier.

“I missed you so much,” Minhyuk whispers with a loving smile. “Sweet dreams, Wonnie.”

“I missed you too, Minmoongie. I hope you enjoy your hot chocolate,” he says, waving once before retreating to his living room. He’s comforted by the sweet hums of an unfamiliar song echoing just a few feet away. For once, he’s not alone in his apartment anymore nor is he dulled by deep-seated loneliness anymore.

And for once, Hyungwon craves the touch of Minhyuk again, understanding why his childhood sweetheart has been so upset that they can’t hold hands, or hug, or kiss.

He drifts off into slumber with a smile on his face, unaware of Minhyuk passing by before going to bed himself, almost forgetting he can’t give Hyungwon a kiss on the forehead and sighing with an affectionate smile, “I’d kiss you if it wouldn’t kill me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who read this fic and this chapter!!! <3 <3 <3 i hope you have a good day/evening :') more chapters to come, we can't end this without solving the mystery of minhyuk's attempted murder right? :^) 
> 
> twt: @hojjangkyun


	3. a patch of petunias

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: more wonkyun in this chapter, hyunghyuk will be back as the main in the next though uwu

_“‘Drowned Dead Tourist’ Lee Minhyuk, twenty four-years-old, was laid to rest today. He was survived by his younger cousin, Lee Gwanghyun, his only living relative in the country…”_

Minhyuk winces as his passport photograph is flashed on the television screen in Hyungwon’s bedroom, aware it’s for everyone watching the evening news to see. It’s unnerving that his picture — his _face_ — will be associated with the label _Drowned Dead Tourist_ starting today and not with _Gwangju-born freelance painter Lee Minhyuk._ The undignified nature of broadcasting media taking advantage of catchy liners for viral news slowly sinks in, “No one would want to be a celebrity by how they died…” he murmurs sadly, especially if they have ‘died’ the same way he had by the hands of an unknown scoundrel.

But before he can wallow into wondering how his dear younger cousin would feel if he’s watching the evening news, the news anchor’s next words catch him off-guard. “ _SEE THE SEAS Travel Agency_ is offering a one million won reward for solving the murder of Lee Minhyuk, which—”

“One million won,” he repeats, flabbergasted.

_One. Fucking. Million. Won._

And Hyungwon didn’t tell him.

 

* * *

 

While Hyungwon is a master of making pies, the same cannot be said for cooking dishes. He settles for a bowl of cereal and milk or a simple sandwich on usual mornings, and sometimes the previous evening’s leftovers if there’s any. But Hyungwon doesn’t have leftovers this time nor does he think Minhyuk’s first breakfast in his second life be a plain meal. And so he inspects his refrigerator, taking the only ingredients he finds the safest for him to handle. With four eggs and several pieces of cherry tomatoes, Hyungwon cooks up decent sunny side ups on a lightly oiled pan, toasts white bread slices on a buttered skillet, and chops the tomatoes on a wooden chopping board while humming along tunes on the radio.

Minhyuk arrives in a timely manner just minutes after Hyungwon plated his first attempt of breakfast for a guest. Hyungwon fails to stop a smile seeing his childhood sweetheart in one of his loose shirts and knee-length shorts, rubbing an eye with one hand while smoothing his bed head with the other. “Good morning, Minmoongie.”

“Morning, Wonnie,” Minhyuk greets back with a small grin. He stretches his arms up and cracks his knuckles with his fingers, exposing a small amount of skin by his side and belly.

“Breakfast,” Hyungwon answers. He places Minhyuk’s plate across his, complete with a fork, knife, and pieces of tissues. “Sorry if this is all I have for you, I’m not exactly skilled in cooking.”

“You bake pies for a living,” the other man laughs coolly, raising a brow as he takes a seat. His smile shines brighter than the soft sunlight illuminating the cool-colored walls of Hyungwon’s abode at the sight of his plate, carrying two toasted slices of bread each topped with eggs with a smiley face outlined by little cubes of tomato. He gives Hyungwon a thankful and excited look. “This is so cute!”

The figurative butterflies in Hyungwon’s stomach flutter wildly within, ready to invade his chest and stir little flicks of soft feelings on his heart. He’s missed Minhyuk’s sunny disposition so much. Even though Hyungwon is still short of sleep, the happiness in his sweetheart’s eyes energizes him in a way coffee never can.

They chow down on Hyungwon’s simple cooking, which thankfully Minhyuk likes. The slices of bread are toasted well enough with a nice crunch at the corners and a delicate buttery core, the sunny side up eggs are perfectly round (with thanks to a big cookie cutter) with soupy yolk trickling down upon slicing, and the tomatoes are wonderfully fresh and contrasting to the starch and salt of the bigger ingredients. All these compliments straight from Minhyuk’s mouth makes Hyungwon blush even when the man jokes about Hyungwon’s earlier claim that he can’t cook.

“I mean it. I usually just eat cereal or sandwiches,” Hyungwon defends as he slices a small part of his second egg toast.

“This is a sandwich, sorta,” Minhyuk teases, sending him a flirtatious wink. Hyungwon puffs his cheeks out in amusement and enamor. “I like it very much, Wonnie-yah. Thank you.”

“Trying new things for you is worth it,” he whispers to himself, smiling. His third permanent revival of a dead individual, and now a properly cooked breakfast. Seems like Minhyuk is becoming more of a good influence just by existing and being in Hyungwon’s life again.

“Now aren’t you cheesy? Ah, you could cook this with cheese next time, it’d be so good,” his sweetheart laughs.

Hyungwon nods. It has been enjoyable to cook, even if it’s something this simple. “Okay, I’ll try next time.”

“And oh, oh, maybe you could also try like. Toasted pizza bread? Or I could make it for us!”

A smile. Hyungwon really still adores Minhyuk’s enthusiasm. “Why not?”

Minhyuk makes Hyungwon cave into letting him wash the dishes since he already cooked breakfast. As much as Hyungwon wants to stay and chat up Minhyuk while at it, given their engaging talk on Minhyuk’s opinions on pie, his childhood sweetheart also tells him to ready himself for the day. It takes moments for Hyungwon to remember he has a pie shop to open. After a shower and dressing up, he finds Minhyuk sitting on the couch in front of the living room television, watching another broadcast announcing _The Drowned Dead Tourist’s Funeral._

“This is so not the kind of news that should be shown in the morning,” Minhyuk scoffs, crossing his arms.

“Indeed,” Hyungwon frowns. The fact that Minhyuk’s now known as the _Drowned Dead Tourist_ leaves a terrible taste in his mouth because one: he’s alive, and two: the moniker itself sounds disrespectful.

“I can’t believe I’m famous because I died, and they gave me a sucky name to remember me by,” the older man continues, sighing in disappointment as he buries his face in the palms of his hands. “And I can’t believe there’s a reward to find my murderer too.”

To this, Hyungwon freezes. He finds himself speechless when Minhyuk leans against the sofa arm to face Hyungwon, his expression empty of emotion. He knows the morning news hasn’t even mentioned a word of it, and fear scatters past the fluttery feelings in Hyungwon’s gut as he wonders what Minhyuk may be thinking.

The man doesn’t smile nor does he frown, his eyes staring dead-on at Hyungwon’s, when he asks, “Heard it in the news last night. Did you know about this, Hyungwon?”

He only manages an exhale. Minhyuk’s expression doesn’t change. “Okay, better question: would I be alive right now if I knew who murdered me? You told me you wanted to know so ‘justice could be served’, but I’m starting to doubt that.”

The accusation feels really unfair, Hyungwon thinks, but he knows where Minhyuk is coming from. It’s not Minhyuk’s fault to be skeptical, but Minhyuk isn’t aware of Hyungwon’s feelings at that minute that should have been Minhyuk’s very last. He isn’t aware of Hyungwon’s anxiety to face him again, or his dread in losing Minhyuk again. He doesn’t know that Hyungwon doesn’t know if he would’ve kissed Minhyuk regardless whether he knew who murdered him or didn’t, and that Hyungwon would rather not know either because all that matters to him is that Minhyuk is alive now.

“It’s the reward that made me find out you were dead, Min,” he answers instead.

“Why didn’t you tell me last night, then?”

He sees Minhyuk’s stare soften, but Hyungwon is an honest man, still. “It’s not that I didn’t want you to know — especially because yes, I admit, the reward money played a part in my visit — but I… I wanted to just speak to you again normally last night. Let you know that I’m happy to be with you again.” He takes a breath, lips trembling at Minhyuk’s solemn look. “I promise you, I planned to tell you today. Breakfast was just… too joyful, though. I didn’t want to break our momentum.”

“To be honest, I didn’t want to break it either.” Minhyuk sighs, shaking his head. He looks at Hyungwon with an apologetic smile. “I like it when you’re happy.”

“You being alive makes me happy, Min,” he confesses, smiling sadly at his childhood sweetheart. If only he can put his feelings into proper words. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you knew who murdered you, honestly, but I know how I’d feel and it wouldn’t change from the feelings I had yesterday.”

“And what were those feelings?” Minhyuk asks, leaning forward with his chest pressed against the back of the couch.

“Joy from seeing you again, for one,” Hyungwon says softly, shyly. “And sadness, because I didn’t want to kiss you dead.”

Minhyuk presses his lips together into a cute, cat-like smile. “I know. I saw it in your eyes.”

Hyungwon exhales a humored yet disbelieving laugh. “Why’d you ask me, then?”

“Reaffirmation.” Again, Minhyuk sends a playful wink. “But I still want to know more about this reward. It’s one million won, for crying out loud. Could totally bake a lot of pies.”

“Actually, it’s five hundred thousand won,” Hyungwon corrects. “Fifty-fifty split with my… investigative partner.”

Minhyuk blinks — unevenly, _so cute_ — and narrows his eyes. “You’re telling me you sideline investigative work?”

He nods sheepishly. “Yes. I, um, use my ability to help Private Investigator Im Changkyun when he’s handling murder cases.”

His childhood sweetheart stays quiet for a while, looking away from Hyungwon while seemingly absorbing the information given to him. It must be odd for Minhyuk to hear that his childhood best friend-turned-sweetheart who he hasn’t contacted for years now bakes pie and solves murder mysteries to earn a living. It’s a very strange combination, even for Hyungwon. Jooheon especially finds it questionable due to his lack of knowledge of Hyungwon’s ability, and even Hoseok finds it funny that Hyungwon’s ‘professions’ are two different domains. It seems like only Changkyun doesn’t think any of it strange, but then again an open-minded investigator like him must’ve seen or heard stranger.

Minhyuk claps his hands together once, breaking Hyungwon’s pondering, as he verifies, “So. You, Chae Hyungwon, reviver of the dead—”

“Please don’t say that,” he chuckles softly.

“—touch murder victims, ask who murdered them, and touch them again so they go back to being dead, then you collect reward money?”

“That’s it in a nutshell, yeah.”

“Huh. Guess I’m special then,” Minhyuk smirks. “I didn’t go back to being dead and you don’t get your reward money.”

“I couldn’t even think of the reward money, Minhyuk. All I’ve thought about is seeing you again,” Hyungwon says, hoping the sincerity in his voice is loud and clear enough for Minhyuk to hear.

And it is, as Minhyuk sends him a sweet smile. “I know, Hyungwon. I’d hug you right now if I could.”

A smile is contagious, they say. Hyungwon mirrors the beautiful grin on his beloved’s face. “I know.”

 

* * *

 

Changkyun can’t shake the feeling that something terrible will unfold today. He woke up this morning with a quicker pulse than usual which definitely fuels the unease of his gut feeling. He hopes that whatever may unfold isn’t related to any of the cases he’s handling, and especially isn’t related to Hoseok. He’d like to believe he might’ve just had a nightmare last night that he’d forgotten when his alarm clock rang.

He decides to visit _The Slice of Life_ today to check up on Hyungwon but stops by his office first to tidy up the place. He was too tired to do so last night after enduring a wild discussion between his client, a mother, and the missing teenager Changkyun had found in the shady love motel. He felt less like a professional private eye and more like an unwilling spectator to a family drama he didn’t expect to see, but a job is a job. He’s been paid handsomely anyway.

It only takes him less than an hour as he arranges the biggest pieces in his office. His comfy office chair is nicely slotted underneath the space of his long desk, and he fixes the chairs reserved for his clients back into their proper positions. Some paperwork he left last night resting on the table are filed into Changkyun’s sole metal file cabinet, placed in the topmost drawer with folders pertaining to each month of the year. He then unlocks the little cabinet on the left side of his desk, placing his laptop bag inside so he doesn’t have to carry it while he travels.

Proud of his productivity, he double checks the closed blinds of his window before leaving his office, but not before glancing at the framed picture on his desk.

If Im Changkyun cares about someone more than Lee Hoseok, that someone can only be his father. A medical neuropathologist by title and a forensic scientist by trade, Mr. Im is the very man who has inspired Changkyun to become a private investigator. Young Im Changkyun had always declared he would follow his father’s footsteps to become a forensic scientist himself, and their close bond revolving around their love for science and for each other almost sealed that fate for Changkyun.

Almost, if not for his father suddenly disappearing.

Changkyun sighs, the corner of his lips curling down as he places the photo frame back on its spot. He has time to dwell on his next plan of action later if there are no new cases for him to handle.

He takes a bus to _The Slice of Life_ , consuming his time by listening to a podcast that nitpicks popular movies and shows of the present. He wonders if he should visit _Loves Me / Loves Me Not_ first, seeing as it is closer to the bus stop, but Changkyun stops himself in contemplation that Hoseok might figure out his crush if he does so. Changkyun would like to believe he’s done well in hiding his feelings from his friends — not out of shame for his infatuation, of course, but of cautiousness, as he’d prefer to avoid being teased into a blushing mess when Hoseok is around — that it’s a given Hoseok can’t tell as well.

To fulfill a compromise, Changkyun walks past the flower shop with as much faux innocence as he can muster, discreetly looking through the glass display in case Hoseok is by the counter. And bless his lucky stars, Hoseok ‘spots him first’ and waves excitedly at Changkyun’s way. He sends the handsome florist a small smile before crossing the street, his chest bubbling with endearment for the sweet man.

Just like any other normal weekday morning in _The Slice of Life,_ the shop is near-empty of customers as Changkyun trots in and towards his usual seat. Jooheon is attending to three men in corporate clothing, taking their cleared out plates as the men shuffle out of the booth. The older spots him immediately and narrows his eyes.

“Chocolate s’mores,” Jooheon states, slapping down a rolled newspaper in front of Changkyun. The younger smiles and silently gives the server a thumbs up, watching in amusement when Jooheon trudges off to the kitchen, dirty plates in hand.

To his surprise, it’s Hyungwon who arrives and serves the pie in less than two minutes. Changkyun hasn’t even unfurled the morning paper yet, tucking it in his jacket’s pocket for later.

“Thanks, hyung,” Changkyun greets with a smile, pulling the plate closer to his side of the table. The lanky man sits across him, and Changkyun feels his gut feeling kick back on the surface. _Maybe I’m just worried about him._

The strange thing, however, is that Changkyun feels he _doesn’t_ have to be worried for Hyungwon anymore. He doesn’t know if it’s just his imagination, but the Pie Maker seems less stressed and less sad, exuding an aura of lightness that Changkyun has never felt around him before, an aura Changkyun knows he can’t associate with someone who’s grieving. Perhaps he’s gotten closure from the funeral service? _But no…_ Changkyun’s gut feeling twists again, sure that Hyungwon doesn’t move on that easily.

“Good morning, Changkyun-ah. Sorry I haven’t… haven’t messaged you yesterday,” Hyungwon says. Changkyun only nods as he takes a forkful of the pie into his mouth. “I, uh, had a lot on my mind.”

 _Stuttering._ “I understand, hyung. How was the service yesterday?”

He watches Hyungwon press his thick lips together. _Thinking of an answer more slowly._ “Solemn,” the older man answers, gaze on his apron. “Paid my respects.”

The pit of Changkyun’s stomach stirs with distress again. The trusting side of Changkyun really wishes his guess is wrong, but the side of him that thirsts for truth above all else overpowers his need to shelter his feelings from potential hurt. He’d like to believe Hyungwon is still hurting that his brief, anxious answers make sense, but the lack of genuineness in his tone is unmistakable to Changkyun’s ears. Years of being a private investigator has made Changkyun subject himself to mastering the art of reading body language and discerning lies from truth through speaking patterns and intonations; his investigative side is sure Hyungwon isn’t used to fibbing at all.

Changkyun thinks of finishing his pie first before confronting the Pie Maker, but his tongue is itching to ask the very question that will unravel Hyungwon’s true actions from yesterday.

“I see. Were you able to talk to Gwanghy—”

The door just behind their booth flaps open, and Hyungwon’s neutral expression falls before Changkyun can even finish his sentence. A sudden presence sits next to Changkyun, almost making the private eye jump away in shock. Instead, the presence shocks Changkyun into inertness — a man in sunglasses and a trenchcoat who looks exactly like Lee Minhyuk smiles at him.

“Are you the private investigator? What’s his name, Wonnie? Im Jjangkyung?”

“Changkyun,” slips from his mouth involuntarily, even while his whole body is stunned.

It’s at that moment when Im Changkyun confirms he’s been duped. Despite his goodwill, consideration, and support, Changkyun was fooled and his trust was taken for granted. A wave of emotions rush in his veins with every passing heartbeat — disbelief, hurt, grief, irritation; if negative feelings could manifest into ink that stains blood, Changkyun’s sure that his would be pitch black by now.

He doesn’t see Jooheon stand by their table, asking Lee Minhyuk what he wants to order. He doesn’t hear Minhyuk introduce himself as a friend of Hyungwon and doesn’t notice the woe that etches on the server’s face from having to see Hyungwon smile at his ‘friend’ in a different way.  He doesn’t catch Jooheon say, “Um, I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but you look like the… Drowned Dead Tourist,” but if he had, Changkyun might have answered, _That’s because he IS the Drowned Dead Tourist._ He doesn’t witness Lee Minhyuk laugh and hold Jooheon’s hand gently to say he finds it a compliment since _Drowned Dead Tourist Lee Minhyuk_ looks handsome, and he doesn’t observe Hyungwon roll his eyes out of fondness for Lee Minhyuk’s quirky playfulness.

He doesn’t accept that he’s been lied to, and Changkyun mumbles a soft, “Excuse me,” and walks past a surprised Lee Minhyuk to head for the door. He doesn’t know how long his anger towards Hyungwon will last, and he’d rather not find out.

“Changkyun, wait!” comes Hyungwon’s voice, agonizingly crystal clear against the fuzz of Changkyun’s auditory senses.

“Put the pie on my tab, hyung. I’ll pay for it next time,” he replies without looking back. Before he can push through the door, a hand catches his wrist.

Guilt is written all over Hyungwon's face as he pleads softly, “Let's talk.”

“What are we supposed to talk about, hyung? You didn’t want to talk to me yesterday,” Changkyun snipes back sarcastically once they make it to the kitchen. He taps his foot as the Pie Maker only stares at his shoes.

“I didn't know how to tell you.”

He scoffs. “You could have just been honest with me, hyung. ‘Hey, Changkyun, I’m going to revive Lee Minhyuk because I’m in love with him,’ is that so hard?”

“I didn’t know I was going to keep him alive,” Hyungwon retorts. He looks pained, yet Changkyun doesn’t know if he can trust him anymore. “I didn’t plan to, Changkyun, I swear.”

“Then why did you lie yesterday?” he asks, trying his hardest to subside the harsh words begging to leave his throat.

“Because I didn’t know how you’d react,” the taller man answers. “How was I supposed to know if you’d believe me if I—”

“You underestimate me, hyung,” Changkyun frowns, crossing his arms. “I can _tell_ if you’re lying and you know I’d listen to you if you explain yourself.”

Hyungwon huffs, shaking his head. He’s close to getting irritated now too, and Changkyun doesn’t think he has the right to be. “Then why didn’t you call me out yesterday?”

“I wanted to believe you weren’t lying to me because you knew I was being careful and considerate around you,” he snaps. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t just see you as ‘the guy who brings dead people to life’. But I guess your fear of attachment doesn’t make you consider me a friend even if I act like one to you, does it?”

“I’m not stupid, Changkyun,” Hyungwon seethes through gritted teeth. The older man glares at him, and Changkyun tries to keep his ground even if it’s a first for him to actually experience an angry Hyungwon. “If you really were considerate, then you’d get that I wasn’t thinking straight yesterday. I was supposed to _kiss_ my first love back to death and I couldn’t, and how would I face you if I told you I’m keeping Minhyuk alive for good and I didn’t get the information you needed for the reward? You’d question my motives!”

Changkyun blinks as the realization dawns on him.

 

_“Hoseok hyung, why do you deliver flowers weekly to Hyungwon hyung’s place?”_

_“Ah, you see Changkyunnie, he needs them so the dead fruits he touches would come back to life. Kind of like a life-for-a-life thing. He said it’s better I deliver flowers to him so the ones in my shop would be safe.”_

_“What difference does it make?”_

_“Hyungwon told me something like ‘random at close proximity.’ Whatever similar life is the nearest, I guess, so flowers in his shop would die instead of the ones in my greenhouse.”_

 

He takes a breath. Changkyun detests being lied to by someone he trusts, but for once the cringeworthy truth sinks a more painful weight on his chest. He can’t believe he’s forgotten that detail… and that Hyungwon was too taken by love to forget it too.

“You’re right, hyung, I would,” he says. His trembling hands clench into fists at his sides as he shoots a scornful stare at the older man. “I really would, especially because your decision could’ve killed me.”

Changkyun notices the very second Hyungwon finally realizes the implications of his actions. The older man remains speechless, his eyes wide with fear and hurt when Changkyun’s expression falls neutral and his gaze full of disappointment. “And by the way, hyung, I’m not always after the reward.”

If Changkyun were nicer, he’d ponder on the more positive side of things — even with the condition of Hyungwon’s ability, Changkyun was still lucky to have not been the life exchanged for Lee Minhyuk’s. But Changkyun isn’t a saint, he's immensely bitter with the knowledge that there was still a possibility it could’ve been him instead — he was _just_ outside the damn door, feet away from them for crying out loud — and it’s unfair that Hyungwon could snatch his life away without his consent, whether he means to or not.

He still has a mystery-laden life to live and a missing father to find. Hyungwon isn’t the only one who has experienced losing a loved one due to unknown circumstances. 

He doesn’t stick around when Hyungwon finally gathers words to say, unwilling to subject himself to explanations that may just fuel his fury and hurt. The private eye storms out of the kitchen, letting muscle memory serve him well to maneuver him towards the doors. He drowns out the confused shout from Jooheon as he steps out of the pie shop with a heavy heart, unaware that someone else is running after him for his attention.

“Changkyun-ah, please slow down,” finally catches his attention when his wrist is grabbed from behind, and Changkyun would’ve pulled his forearm away and tell the person to buzz off as politely as he can if the person isn’t Lee Hoseok.

But the man standing before him _is_ Lee Hoseok, his kind eyes full of worry and his pink lips slightly parted. Changkyun is stunned in place and speechless, his head and heart unable to cope with the negative thoughts and emotions colliding with his feelings for the florist, that he doesn’t notice Hoseok is now holding both his wrists.

“Changkyun,” the florist repeats with knitted brows. “Are you okay?”

All Changkyun can do is shake his head slowly, tears of sudden emotional exhaustion pooling in the corners of his eyes. His actions speak for the words he’s too overwhelmed to say — _Hyungwon lied to me. I could have died yesterday. I miss my dad so much. I like you so much it hurts. Everything hurts. Feeling hurts. —_ and is met with the warmth of Hoseok’s arms around his frame.

“Shh, I got you,” Hoseok whispers gently. He cradles Changkyun’s head with one hand as the younger melts in his embrace, trying to focus his thoughts on how the florist smells wonderfully like sweet vanilla, damp leaves, and fresh gardenias.

 

* * *

 

Watching Hoseok work his magic in his little greenhouse is always relaxing for Changkyun, especially knowing he’s one of the few privileged enough to view the spectacle of the florist’s gentleness with colorful flora. He’s sitting on a wooden stool next to a box of pink petunias and white sweet peas, sipping warm chocolate with marshmallows that Hoseok has brewed while taking deep, slow breaths to calm down. A few feet away, a brightly smiling Hoseok is humming tunes of old lullabies while counting camellias.

It’s strange to think that Changkyun, who works in a cold-blooded field, would fall for such a man with the charming work environment. It’s not a love at first sight story to be told, but it _is_ an attraction at first sight. Changkyun cannot deny Hoseok’s bunny-cute smile and god-sculpted body have reeled in his attention, but getting to know Hoseok more has only further plunged Changkyun into the hole of _private investigators who’s kind of developing a crush, population: 1._ The man is sweet to a fault, polite to a fault, handsome to a fault, but even then Changkyun still didn’t acknowledge his feelings yet. No man is too perfect, and Changkyun refuses to believe Hoseok is an angel on earth because then he’d think a sinner like him is undeserving of such a being.

And truly, seeing an interesting ‘flaw’ in Hoseok is the reason why Changkyun has thrown caution into the wind, accepting that he is irrevocably fond of the florist.

It was a day from last year when Changkyun visited Hoseok to buy _get well soon_ flowers for a friend in the hospital, reaching Hoseok attending to a young woman in her mid-twenties rambling to him her story — her ex, who happened to be her co-worker, finally received a promotion he desperately wanted and asked her to buy flowers to congratulate him. “Is he serious?” Hoseok had asked, scandalized and unimpressed by the typical chauvinistic entitlement in her story, and Changkyun had been impressed with how intently the florist truly listens to his customers.

“Really,” the woman had said sadly. “He said it in front of several big names in the company too, so I couldn’t refuse.”

Changkyun had never seen Hoseok smile in a sickly sweet manner as he told the woman he had the perfect arrangement for her, picking dainty flowers from their pots and fixing them into a beautiful bouquet, and listening to him explain what each flower meant with such excitement could fuel Changkyun's laughter for days. "I put some buttercups, they symbolize childishness, yellow carnations for disdain, petunias for anger, germanium for stupidity, and basil for hatred."

“Oh my,” the woman had gasped with glee. “How could a lovely bouquet carry such a nasty message?”

“The language of flowers, ma'am,” Hoseok had grinned. “Not a lot of men bother to check, so they'll never know if they're receiving a ‘Fuck You Bouquet’ or not.”

“Is that really the name of this bouquet?”

“Not really,” Hoseok had chuckled. “I don't really sell an exact bouquet under that name, but when customers need a good cheer-up and an elegant way to express dislike to someone, I'm always willing to customize an offensive and beautiful arrangement.”

Hoseok's kindness coupled with his moral compass brings about an adorably sinister side of the man. And at that moment, Changkyun had felt Cupid's figurative arrow pierce his heart for the first time.

A soft knock echoes throughout the glass-walled room, followed by slipper-caused footsteps as Lee Gwanghyun enters. Changkyun stays silent yet courteous, nodding back when Gwanghyun greets him with a shaky hello. Both of them haven’t exchanged many words with each other, usually stuck with greets, _where's Hoseok hyung_ from Changkyun and _he’s in the greenhouse_ from Gwanghyun, but the private investigator knows the college kid is a good kid. With his few observations of politeness, lighthearted jokes, and gentle handling of potted plants, Changkyun understands why Hoseok has kept Gwanghyun around the longest in comparison to the other part-timers. The boy is also pretty skilled in making flower crowns and entertaining customers with his sweet attitude and sunny smiles too. Seeing the boy’s swollen eyes today stirs more disdain in Changkyun, knowing he has cried for nothing in the funeral service yesterday.

 _Fucking Hyungwon, making a kid cry over an empty coffin alone,_ he thinks angrily. But a part of Changkyun also feels guilty, wishing he didn’t let Hyungwon convince him to leave. Maybe then, Gwanghyun would’ve had someone to comfort him even if they aren’t close.

“You sure you’re up to working today, Gwanghyun? I told you it’s fine if you want a day off,” Hoseok says.

“I’m okay, hyung,” the young boy answers softly. That doesn’t convince Changkyun one bit, and he already can’t see Gwanghyun’s expression. He can only assume he looks gloomy or is faking a smile the hardest he can, given the saddened smile on Hoseok’s face.  “My savings kinda need it too.”

“There’s a thing called paid leaves, Gwanghyun. You haven’t consumed all of yours, you know,” Hoseok reminds, his tone chiding despite his kind smile. He crouches to Gwanghyun’s eye level, placing a hand on the younger’s shoulder and continues, “I’ll treat you for lunch, then you go home straight after. Sounds good?”

Changkyun can’t help but smile when the florist’s protege hugs him, murmuring his thanks in a heartwrenchingly broken voice. With a gentle nudge, Hoseok tells Gwanghyun to man the counter first and to unashamedly ask Hoseok for assistance if he needs any. Hoseok really is a sweet man, mending two broken hearts rooted from the same tragedy in the high seas.

“It’s hard seeing such a happy kid this sad,” Hoseok says, taking a seat on the stool across Changkyun. His warm gaze meets Changkyun’s, squeezing the investigator’s heart in fondness. “It’s hard seeing you sad too.”

“Trust me, hyung, I don’t want to be.” In all his years of investigative work, Changkyun has learned to keep his emotions in check and he’d like to keep it that way even outside his profession. Despite his willingness to be open with Hoseok, it still feels like he’s violating his self-made code, not wanting to appear vulnerable even though he’s also aware that he’s just human too.

“It’s because of Lee Minhyuk, isn’t it?” Hoseok asks, taking Changkyun by surprise. The older man chuckles. “Ah, you look cute when you’re surprised, Changkyunnie.”

Changkyun pouts, feeling his cheeks warm. He hates how his blushing may give him away, but he can always compromise with his demeanor when speaking. “How’d you know? Did Hyungwon tell you last night?” he says acidly.

“Hyungwon barely answered my texts. Saw Lee Minhyuk when I visited _The Slice of Life_ earlier. You were in the kitchen then, I think? I couldn’t mistake him for anyone else,” Hoseok answers, shrugging. “Jooheon’s pretty funny, though, he couldn’t tell.”

“That’s because Lee Minhyuk is supposed to be dead,” Changkyun sighs. He takes a sip of hot chocolate and chews on a semi-melted mini marshmallow to balance out the bitterness of his tone.

Hoseok nods somberly. “What happened, Changkyun? Um, you can always not answer if you don’t want to.”

Changkyun smiles in appreciation, thankful that Hoseok is such a considerate soul. _Unlike some others._ “You’re the only one I can tell this to, hyung.”

“I feel honored and scared at the same time,” the florist says, obviously trying to make Changkyun laugh a little more, and the investigator indulges him, but also affirming he knows it’s related to Hyungwon and his ability.

And so Changkyun confesses every single Hyungwon-related frustration he has to Hoseok, annoyance seeping into his words and upset glazing his eyes. He admits he hates how Hyungwon lied to him without much of a second thought that Changkyun might feel slighted when he finds out the truth later, how Hyungwon implied Changkyun is only after the reward, how Hyungwon accused Changkyun of not being considerate enough even though Changkyun has tried his hardest to be such.

“Can you blame me for getting mad, hyung?” Changkyun cries, swinging his now-empty mug in irritation. He places the mug on a nearby platform after almost smashing it on an unsuspecting flower pot. “I know Hyungwon hyung’s head was full of fuzz yesterday, but why is he making me out to be lacking? I never pushed him to tell me things he didn’t want to say, I honored all his wishes to be left alone, and I’m not considerate?”

“He must’ve been overwhelmed with your words, Changkyun. I don’t think he should’ve said those things to you to defend himself. I thought he’d be better than that,” Hoseok says calmly, though he does look bothered from what he’s heard. “Just because he’s aware that you know he’s not thinking straight doesn’t make it a good argument.”

Changkyun nods, exhaling in relief. He’s so thankful Hoseok knows Hyungwon’s secret, or else Changkyun might’ve exploded from keeping all his frustrations in.

“But I get why Hyungwon expected more patience from you,” Hoseok continues. “You’re calm and collected, even in the face of danger or creepy things. I didn’t expect you to get angry too, if I’ll be honest, Changkyunnie.”

“I hate being lied to, hyung, no matter how good a friend I am,” Changkyun frowns. “And the fact that I could’ve been the dead flower to his living fruit adds another layer of anger.”

The florist’s lip twitching doesn’t go unnoticed by Changkyun, but Hoseok maintains his cool poise as he says, “Hyungwon really wasn’t thinking.”

“Yeah,” he sighs. Admittedly, confessing this concern to Hoseok is slowly eases out his resentment towards Hyungwon, allowing anxiety to resurface as his true emotion all this time. “I know what matters is that I’m still alive, but I couldn’t shake the thought that I _could’ve_ been the one who died. I feel selfish because I should be more concerned that Hyungwon inadvertently killed someone, even if he didn’t mean or want to, but instead I’m upset because of something that could’ve happened but didn’t.”

“Believe me, Changkyun, I’m not happy knowing this,” Hoseok says, and Changkyun isn’t mistaken to hear the florist mumble something along the lines of _gonna have a talk with that piehole._ The man presses the bridge of his nose and takes three deep breaths, glancing at Changkyun with solemnity. “But I also don’t like seeing you upset, Changkyun.”

Changkyun’s breath hitches when the florist slowly holds his hands, carefully intertwining their fingers without breaking eye contact. “I really understand why you feel that way, it’s okay if you don’t forgive Hyungwon immediately. But we both know Hyungwon wouldn’t have wanted you to die, right?”

Speechless, the investigator only nods. Hoseok’s smile grows brighter.

“I’m not onboard with Hyungwon’s logic, don't get me wrong, but I think we have to be more patient with him even if he’s made the biggest blunder. At least for now,” the florist continues. “Love makes us do crazy things, and to be honest, I don’t know if I’d make a different decision from his if I were in his shoes.”

Changkyun hums in surprise. He hasn’t thought to view it that way, though it may be due to his prior anger towards the Pie Maker or the sheer lack of experience in what he’s going through. Changkyun knows his feelings for Hyungwon’s woes yesterday have been more sympathetic, and perhaps this is why Hyungwon thinks Changkyun should be more considerate. _Maybe_ the Pie Maker meant that Changkyun should be more empathetic, and Changkyun might not have been as triggered earlier if this is what Hyungwon said even if empathy can be too tall an order for him in rare times like these.

Hoseok squeezes Changkyun’s hands gently to catch the younger’s attention again. “T-Thank you, hyung. For listening to me and talking to me,” he smiles, happy that his chest feels lighter. “I’ll think about what you said. I don’t like being angry at Hyungwon hyung and I kind of feel bad for lashing out at him now.”

“I guess you could’ve expressed your anger more creatively,” the florist grins.

Changkyun tugs one of Hoseok’s hands in playfulness. “You just want me to buy a ‘Fuck You Bouquet’,” the investigator laughs.

He falls quiet when Hoseok leans forward, his soft pink lips pressing gently against the exposed skin of Changkyun's forehead. The younger man blinks, stunned once more by the fact that Lee Hoseok _kissed_ his forehead and is now bubbling with lighthearted chuckles.

“It'd be on the house if you asked for it, Changkyun,” Hoseok smiles, letting go of one of Changkyun's hands and pulling out a small blue violet flower from behind. He wordlessly asks Changkyun to take it, grinning when the younger picks it from Hoseok's hand by the stem. “But I'd rather make beautiful flowers with beautiful meanings appear for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a big big thanks to everyone who read this fic and left kudos and bookmarks and comments and all!!! <3 if anyone worries about hyungkyun's friendship, they'll be better in the next chapter (hoseok works his magic) tbh in the show the issue between the investigator and pie maker isn't as fleshed out as this, but i couldn't help myself since i feel most people would stop to think about it if they were ever in the investigator's situation. actual mystery solving and fun times in the next chapter, so i hope you stay tuned!
> 
> twt: @hojjangkyun


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